


One Piece: Night Circus

by WonderlandWriter13



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alabasta, Alternate Universe - Circus, Alternate Universe - Magic, Dressrosa (One Piece), F/F, F/M, Fanfiction, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:47:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 62,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23437930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderlandWriter13/pseuds/WonderlandWriter13
Summary: On the eve of their arranged marriage Prince Sabo Overlook of the Goa Kingdom and Princess Vivi Nefertari of Alabasta wish nothing more than to be free of each other and the betrothal that will bind them together, entrapping them in the royal life forever.The night of Princess Vivi's arrival the circus outside Goa Kingdom fills the darkness with it's final night of performances, promising to leave in the morning.Fueled by the desperate desire to be free of their lives and titles the royals create a plan to runway with the performers at first light.However, there is more to the circus than blissful freedom and travel and while the two struggle to find their place an internal conflict is brewing, threatening to destroy the circus for good.
Relationships: Bartolomeo/Cavendish (One Piece), Franky/Nico Robin, Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Nami/Nefertari Vivi, Portgas D. Ace/Sabo, Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 60
Kudos: 127





	1. Act One: The Royal Runaways

He thought back to everything that led to this. Every truth, lie and story he'd told to find a place here. The circus was to be his greatest freedom and his new home. He never expected it to end like this.

Blinking through the smoke and fighting against his fear of the flames that surrounded him, he raced to the tent hell bent on saving his freedom. On saving his new home and the one person he never dreamed he'd be lucky enough to fall in love with.


	2. Preconceived Notions

Prince Sabo:

Sabo's head felt heavy. It always did when he wore his crown. He had to fight the urge to adjust it while he waited in the throne room. The circlet was an annoyance but a welcome one for the moment. The Prince was hesitant to think about who was to be arriving in mere moments and what her arrival meant for him. It was the last thing his parents needed to keep him trapped here forever.

"My Lord?"

His attention was nabbed by one of his guards as the man escorted a stranger to stand before Sabo.

"This is a squire belonging to Princess Nefertari." The guard announced.

Sabo did his best to hide his distaste of the used word 'belonging'. He forced a nod to the man clothed in foreign garb.

"Your Highness." The man bowed low. "The Princess wishes to inform you that she requests to meet at the entertainers tents outside the palace. She is there now, waiting for you."

Sabo frowned in confusion at the unexpected news. "The circus?" Why would she want to meet there? Perhaps she was going to request a grander welcome? It wouldn't surprise him but it certainly wouldn't make him happy.

"My Lord if I may, I don't think it wise for you to venture out this night-"

Sabo raised his hand and the guard fell silent. The effect made him uncomfortable immediately. He hated his own power.

"I will go." He stated and rose to his feet. The guards protest was enough to fuel his desire to do the opposite of what he was told. "I permit four guards to accompany me."

Sabo wasn't sure what to expect when he arrived but he had to go. What other choice did he have? If the Princess didn't show up tonight...

They were to be married after all. Besides, he had always been fond of the circus.

"We'll leave immediately."

Princess Vivi:

Vivi approached the front entrance, barely noticing the commoners pausing in their moments of merriment to stare. The colored tents, flashing lights and whispers were not enough to capture her attention yet. Her thoughts were preoccupied, growing darker and heavier as she made her way to the place she agreed to meet her Prince.

On her way into the Overlook Kingdom she had gleaned news of the circus. Vivi had decided to meet him here instead of the castle so she could have one last festive and lively experience.

The thought of the castle was a suffocating one. She didn't want to see the unfamiliar Prince or the unfamiliar halls that were soon to imprison her. Vivi knew she would hate the way the foreign citizens would ogle at the foreign Princess in their unfamiliar city. Visiting the circus was her last desperate attempt to lift her mood before it and her spirit were crushed forever.

The time leading up to her departure from Alabasta had felt more like weeks than actual months and Vivi felt as though time wasn't done speeding up for her. In a matter of days she would be Princess Overlook, wife to Sabo, the soon to be King of Goa and when her father passed, the King of Alabasta as well.

The words and titles already tasted foul in her mouth yet she had not even spoken them aloud.

She softly commanded her escorts, ladies and squires to go ahead to the castle for rest. With her urging the majority of the caravan left with nods and 'Yes your Highness's save for the few guards she couldn't convince to leave.

Vivi focused on saving her fight for meeting the Prince -if he bothered to meet her at all- but finally, the anger that plagued her since their betrothal fell to a halt at the sight of the circus before her.

The gate at the entrance was an old one. She could see where time had weathered away at the black iron and the dents in places it was hammered so it stood in the ground. There were lanterns and candles suspended from nearly every rung and intricate posters lit up between them displaying the acts that waited within.

Her violet eyes trailed over each one in wonder, more eager than before with each title. They leapt from poster to poster depicting The Rubber Boy Contortionist, The Sword Swallower, The Fire Dancer and Witch Doctor. Underneath those were the two Breathtaking Escape Artists, the Dancing Illusionist and the Immortal Musician.

Beyond the gate she could see colorful tents, the choices of the fabrics alarming, bright and unable to ignore. However, despite the loud colors and eye-catching displays Vivi's keen gaze saw many patches, repaired tears and hints of fading on many of the canvases.

From the inside came clear sounds of laughter and excitement. The place seemed to be full of nothing but joy and wonder. It looked and sounded much nicer than any party the Princess had ever been to or would ever go to after this night. It was going to be wonderful to visit, albeit a bore to entertain a Prince while present.

Prince Sabo:

He didn't have much hope for his future. Sabo never had. He always found himself loathing his 'princely duties' and life at court, stuck in a castle his entire life. The only thing he ever had permission to do was visit the traveling circus one night during their stay outside the city gates. It was always the same circus that came, once a year at the start of summer. Sabo had lost himself among the tents many a night, filled with wonder and awe.

Except this night, the lights and promise of adventure in the circus had little sway over him. He hoped the Princess and himself could find some sort of common ground that would make his life less dreadful -if that were possible- but he had the feeling that she would be as pompous and shallow as every other royal he had ever met.

Sabo frowned, hoping that at the very least she would not make his one place of freedom feel pompous and shallow too.

As usual -and to his dismay- people began scurrying out of his way, heads bowed at the sight of their Prince. There were slight whispers and sounds of awe that always made Sabo uncomfortable and a thousand times more conscious of the scar on his face.

Trying to ignore the stares he searched the entrance and caught sight of a striking blue haired woman who turned to smile vacantly at him. His guards joined hers, forming a loose circle around the two as he came to a stop.

Her violet eyes studied him sharply, lingering on his scar with a bit of surprise and then she spoke.

"You must be Prince Sabo." She nodded politely to him.

He was expected to respond in kind but for the briefest moment he considered turning around and running away screaming, not caring how ridiculous he would sound or look.

"Princess Vivi." He nodded back to her. Sabo tried to wear a bright, welcoming expression but it felt impossible. Her presence only made his heart beat with dread.

The Prince cleared his throat, unsure of how to continue. "Did you have a request?"

Or rather a demand. He thought.

"Oh." She spoke pleasantly but her eyes were piercing. "I thought it would be nice to see the circus before it leaves." Princess Vivi clasped her hands behind her back, the gold decorations on her arms shimmering with the movement. "I figured you would wonder why I was taking so long to arrive if I didn't inform you of my whereabouts."

With a wave of frustration Sabo barely managed to hold back a sigh. If she hadn't sent him the message he could have avoided meeting her for a few more hours or even for the rest of the evening. And he didn't like what her words seemed to imply; 'if I didn't inform you of my whereabouts'. It was as if it now was his duty to keep track of where she went and what she did and when.

He tugged on his white gloves and looked past the Princess into the circus grounds. He needed to stay calm. "It is an enjoyable place." He admitted, unable to sound dull in an attempt to drive her away. He found it odd that she would be interested in such things that royals viewed as lowly and not worth their time.

"But even so," Sabo eyed her warily. "Are you sure this is something you would enjoy?" He made no attempt to hide the doubt in his voice.

He didn't feel regret when she narrowed her eyes at him and her face filled with anger. "I think I know what I like and I'd like to visit the circus before joining you in your castle." Princess Vivi announced with disgust, her tone like ice. With no warning or dismissal she turned away and passed through the gate.

Sabo watched as she stalked off, leaving him with his own irritation brimming on anger. Of course she would get her way, but at least he didn't have to accompany her now. He made a fist wondering how much more terrible his life was going to be living with her.


	3. Night Circus

Prince Sabo:

A swell of music reached out past the tents taking his attention away from the vanishing Princess. Now he could attend alone...for the most part. As he walked towards the ticket booth his guards followed, no doubt confused as to why he was still going to attend but of course they didn't voice this. Perhaps he wouldn't mind their presence if they ever spoke to him or let Sabo get to know them. He only had two people like that in the castle. Hack, head of the castle guard and Koala, his best and only friend.

After insisting to pay upon entry, Sabo made his way into the circus himself, determined to forget his anger and his approaching marriage.

He headed of course to his favorite tent, the act being his favorite for as long as he could remember. In the beginning it had been Marco the Fiery Phoenix and a young fire dancer who accompanied him in the background. Marco had come alive, bathed in blue flame drenching his arms and chest. At the time, a young Sabo asked Hack how such a thing was possible. The guard had told him about oils and powders that could change the color of flame but the Prince always wondered if Marco had been one of the few people in the world who was magic touched.

Five years ago when Sabo sat down in the familiar tent it had only been the Fire Dancer's performance and had only been his since. No audience ever saw the Fire Phoenix again.

Rushing towards the entrance and finding a seat in the back Sabo couldn't remember when his liking for this act shifted from amazement towards the performance to amazement towards the performer. His anticipation and excitement finally pushed his frustrations to the back of his mind and feeling bold Sabo reached up and swiftly removed his crown, tucking it between his vest and shirt. Not a moment after he straightened his jacket a drum sounded from deep within the tent. A flourish of light exploded into the darkness, momentarily lighting a devilish grin upon the Fire Dancers face. The tent fell into complete silence.

The drum began to pound out a beat, steady but swift. Sabo watched intently, eyes glued to the performer. The dark haired dancer spun, striking the flint again, lighting a torch from the ground and kicking it into the air. He swirled, catching the flying torch deftly in one hand without interrupting his spin or the torch, the two moving together as if they were one.

His bare feet began to trace patterns into the dirt, his movements smooth and lithe like a cats. The drum picked up and the flames flew into the air and across his bare chest and arms. The audience around Sabo 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed while the Prince watched in amazed silence.

Catching a spinning torch the drum stopped and the dancer froze. Flames cast deep shadows across his freckled, muscular body and bounced off an array of tattoos. The jewelry in his ears and adorning his body captured the light hauntingly.

Sabo was drawn into the act entirely, blue eyes following every movement and flicker. As he did every year, the Prince found that he could no longer fear fire whenever he was in this tent. The performer showed just how beautiful and enticing it could be. The very sureness of his movements and interaction with the flames created an alluring desire to be among the sparks with him.

His heart leapt when the dancer jumped into the air, leaving the torches suspended above, spinning as though gravity did not tug them towards the ground. In sync with the pounding drum he flipped through the air, landing perfectly beneath the torches. He raised his hands lazily, catching the spinning flames as the light tousled his black hair.

The tent exploded into applause and cheers but the Dancer wasn't finished. The beat stayed fast but shifted into something more exotic, and so did the dance. With undeniable grace his footwork moved from aggressive and swift to something slower and more sultry. The performer stabbed the torches into the ground, sending a flaming hoop into the air with his foot and catching it on his arm.

As the beat continued Sabo felt distant from everything but the act. There was no Princess, no marriage and he was no Prince. There were only flames, the drum and the dancer. His tan complexion was scattered with freckles and his body moved with strength and elegance. Sabo could see nothing else.

The drum picked up again and the dance continued building to a finish that Sabo was sure left the closest blind and even the farthest sweating. As the crowd roared the Fire Dancer's stony grey eyes landed on Sabo. He smirked, bowed and then the tent fell into complete darkness.

The audience filtered out of the tent, small lanterns coming to light the pathway out. Sabo however did not move. He was rooted to the spot, stunned by the dancers gaze. What was it like to live the life he did? Go place to place, see other countries and move with freedom in every step? What was it like to receive admiration and applause because you had earned it, not because you were given it?

"Your Highness?"

All at once it came crashing back and Sabo was shaken from his trance. He had completely forgot about his entourage that was now watching him with worry.

"I'm fine." He rose to his feet, waving their concern away. "I'd like to look around some more before we return." The words were wary. He would spend the night searching for any reason to stay away for just a little longer.

Right as he stepped onto the small aisle that would lead him out he heard a voice and turned.

"That's bull Apoo you sped up twice this time!" The Fire Dancer stepped back into the ring, tossing the comment and a laugh to a someone deeper in the tent. He bent, scooping up the burnt torches and then faltered, discovering that he was not alone.

"Oh-" He started to laugh again, cracking an almost flustered grin. "Didn't see you there." He spoke casually though Sabo knew it was painfully clear to him that he was someone of importance.

Sabo loved him for it but he was too flustered to do more than blink in shock and swallow his tongue. Instead he managed a nod and turned away, practically running out of the tent.

Once in the night air Sabo began to feel clear headed...and embarrassed. He sighed deeply. It seemed he could come across as an idiot without using words.

Around him the hustle and bustle of the circus had died down, the remaining patrons heading towards the largest tent in the center. Sabo couldn't help smiling at the sight of a talking skeleton man wearing a grin.

"What should we expect?" Sabo asked him, indicating to the huge tent he was headed to. 

The skeletons grin seemed to grow wider somehow. "What to expect? What to expect?!" He threw his body back, laughing to the stars before leaning down towards the Prince. "My boy we offer everything here."

Princess Vivi:

She found herself in the Breathtaking Escape Artists tent mere seconds after walking away from the Prince. She could get in trouble for that, if he was so inclined, but Vivi had decided not to care. 

The Princess quickly settled into a seat, eyes wide with curiosity and wonder. In the center of the tent was a huge glass container of water, lit up by small colored candles at the base. Everything else was shrouded in darkness and there was no performer in sight. Vivi felt her anticipation grow as she searched the darkness for some clue as to what was about to begin.

And then the tent was glowing. Blue light shinning over the center and a young woman sporting blue tattoos and hair made her way into the glow.

"Be amazed!" She announced boldly, gesturing to the crowd. "Try to hold your breath with her as our Cat Burglar dives to the depths in chains!"

There was another flash of light and there she was, standing just above the tank of water. Her heels were planted firmly and her short dress was sparkling. Surrounded by the glowing lights her cropped orange hair seemed to flicker.

Vivi found herself clutching the seat of the chair in front of her. How was she not going to drown?!

The Escape Artist flashed a smile, winked and then the platform vanished beneath her feet and she sank straight to the bottom.

In that instant Vivi felt her anger dissipate, swallowed whole by the excitement and joy she felt now.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The blue haired woman exclaimed. "The clock starts now!"

VIvi watched as the tank began to shrink. From above was a metal grate and below the floor rose up to meet it. The Cat Burglar twisted and turned, curling up as the space shrank around her.

The woman continued to count down and the Princess found herself holding her breath. This was wild! Insane! She was on the edge of her seat, her hands balled up into fists.

The space grew smaller and smaller. With a flourish the Escape Artist freed herself from the chains, pressing her hands against the glass. The tank continued to shrink and the woman placed her hands above her as if she could stop the lowering of the grate itself.

With bated breath the Princess watched, body buzzing. How was this going to end?! Only when the space shrank so small the woman's knees were bent and level with her head did something change. 

A rush of water exploded from the tank and she rose among the flood, her body barely moved by the flow. The lights gleamed off of her, droplets clinging to her skin and hair. The Escape Artist threw her hands into the air and Vivi jumped to her feet, shouting and applauding wildly. 

"Yes!" She exclaimed, forgetting her title, her responsibility and composure. She had never felt so freed. It was as if watching her escape from the watery prison had freed Vivi herself.

The two women took a bow together, holding hands and grinning. The announcer leaned in towards the redhead whispering something amidst the roar. The Cat Burglar smiled again and nodded and then with one last wave they vanished back into the darkness.

She wasn't sure what to do, frozen in her moment of happiness. Vivi stared at the now empty tank with longing. If only she could learn those tricks... Lost in thought Vivi jumped when a vendor suddenly came up to her. 

"Would you care for some popcorn miss?" The man was tall, blonde and had an unlit cigarette between his lips. He offered her a slight bow with his question.

Laughing off her jumpiness she shook her head. "No thank you, I'm not hungry." She replied honestly and carefully. He didn't seem to recognize her and that alone was enough to bring another smile to her face. "You work here?" She asked, her eyes straying one last time to the tank, remembering how fearless and beautiful the redhead had been. A soft dreamy sigh escaped her.

"Unfortunately." He grumbled softy, his eyes now noticing the fine clothes and jewelry she wore. "But I'm going to have my own act." He prompted, clearly craving her conversation.

"Really?" Her eyes lit up. "What sort of act?" She knew he would have to be stupid not to notice her signs of nobility. From the fine brightly colored fabrics she wore to the gold adornments and the very way she carried herself it was impossible not to notice. Vivi appreciated the fact that he didn't begin to treat her special. Or at least hadn't. 

"Acrobatics." The man said, leaning against the neighboring seats. "Selling food is only on the side." He said nonchalantly gesturing to the tray of popcorn he held.

"Oh that sounds amazing! I would love to be a part of something like that- like this!" She gestured to the tent. "It all seems so freeing." Vivi confessed, recalling the happiness she felt just by watching the performance. This traveling circus would be a much better home than any Prince's castle. 

Her heart raced, the idea hitting her immediately. 

"What did you say your name was?" She asked eagerly.

The vendor straightened, happy to answer. "Sanji."

She grinned. "Sanji, I have a question for you. How did you become apart of this circus?"

Her question seemed to catch him off guard and he paused before he answered. "I didn't quite fit in at home so I left and found a place here." He studied her closely, curiously and then suddenly he set the popcorn aside and offered her his arm. "Would you like me to show you around the circus?"

Vivi eyed his arm suspiciously but after a moment she decided to take it. "I would love that."

Her reaction for some reason, caught him off guard. "Really?!" He asked, the cigarette falling from his mouth. "I mean-" He cleared his throat. "Of course, it's my pleasure." He glanced down at her. "And your name?"

For the first time in her life she dropped the prefix. "I'm Vivi. Just Vivi."

"Vivi?" Sanji lead them through the tent and into the night. "A beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

She laughed and decided to take the compliment. "Just a beautiful woman called Vivi." She sighed at the thought as they approached a large central tent. "That's me."

Prince Sabo:

The rest of the night passed faster than he liked. In the center of the huge tent were three rings and inside them there was performance after performance. The closing show, a combination of all the acts combined! A truly wondrous sight.

After the finale the Fire Dancer stood before them all bordered by the skeleton man who Sabo now knew was called Brook and the Illusionist Dancer Robin. 

"Faithful Audience!" The dancer shouted. "Thank you so much for joining us in this night of illusions and mystery!"

"Did you enjoy yourselves at our humble circus?" Brook asked, following his question with an eccentric laugh. 

The audience roared in response, cheers filling the tent. 

"Well lovely audience I hate to make this bittersweet but all grand things must end!" The Fire Dancer exclaimed.

Robin stepped forwards, her clear voice ringing out for all to hear. "We shall be leaving tomorrow!" As she spoke the image of their circus tents floated above them in the air. "Vanishing like a breath of wind!" She threw her arms wide and the image exploded into nothingness. 

Like a breath of wind.

"Thank you for all your patronage!" She cried. "And good night!"

Sabo's mind spun. Just like that they would be leaving. Gone by tomorrow's end. 

Never again. The words he had promised to Koala after the first and only time he had tried to runaway. Never again will I try leaving here.

But this was his last chance. In two day he would be wed, unable to gain even the smallest shred of freedom once he was crowned. 

This was his last and only chance and he couldn't do it without Koala's help.


	4. The Runaways Join the Circus

The Fire Dancer Ace:

"You wanted to see me?" Ace asked, ducking into Teach's private tent. He wasn't prepared for the day at all. He had still been packing his and Luffy's things when Burgess had come to get him. In truth he was tired from the long day and night of performances.

Teach had his flask in hand, a sight not uncommon despite the early morning. He didn't have the most conventional attitude or methods when it cam to running the circus but Ace never questioned it. Whitebeard's circus had gone to him after Marco died.

Ace rubbed his hands together impatiently. "Better make it quick, we all still have a load of things to do before we can get out of here." He spoke with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah." Teach said with a wave of his hand. "I've got a little assignment for you before we clear outta here." He took a long drink from his flask and draped a heavy arm around Ace's shoulder.

"What's the gig?"

He took another drink. "Well. As you said we got a lot of things to do today. We need more hands on deck."

Ace frowned. "That's true but we've always managed-"

"Listen, I'm trusting you with this kid." The man said seriously. "I need you to find some kids for me. Wherever you can find em." Teach lifted his arm, patting Ace on the back. "Grab em, lure em. Whatever you have to do. Get em here and things will go a lot smoother for us."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ace pushed his arm away. "Kidnapping? Take kids who might actually have a life?"

Teach laughed at his reaction. "Yes Ace! Kidnap some of those buggers, no one will notice." His large hand pushed open a flap in the tent and he studied the collapsing circus. "We'll train em in our ways fast enough."

"Are you that drunk?!" Ace snapped. "Since when do we kidnap kids?!" He demanded, wishing, hoping that this was all some stupid joke. That in the next moment Teach would explode with laughter and make fun of how easy it was to convince Ace that he meant such a thing.

But Teach only glared. "Since today. Since, well... We need more helping hands. Hell! Maybe some of these kids can get us extra money from the pockets of customers!"

"So that's it huh? The circus not making enough money for you?" Ace hissed. "Don't forget you're supposed to pay us! This isn't just some job for a lot of us either, this is our life! And trying to justify your greed by complaining about being shorthanded is bullshit Teach!"

With each passing moment Ace's anger rose. His face and hands grew warm and a sense of dread fell over him. Teach had never said such things before! What the hell was wrong with him?!

Teach tucked his flask away and laughed. It wasn't jovial but mocking, and almost cruel. "Ace are you forgetting who's in charge?" He warned.

He tried. Ace really did but his anger got the better of him. "Are you forgetting who left you in charge!? Whitebeard wouldn't have stood for this- and I won't either!" Ace snapped, shoving his finger at Teach.

The man narrowed his eyes. "Ace don't be difficult-"

"Difficult!?" Ace shoved his way past the man, using everything within to keep him from throwing a punch. "Fuck yourself Teach. Find someone else to do it!" He pushed his way past Burgess, storming out of the tent and back to his. 

What the hell did Teach think he was doing?

Sabo:

The way out of the castle was quick. Of course Koala, being a maid, knew all of the safest and fastest passages. 

Sabo followed her quickly, tugging on the cloak they had thrown over him. She hadn't been able to snag him peasant clothes so he was stuck with his. Even wearing the most plain and basic clothes he had Sabo would still stand out.

Whatever. He thought. Nothing can be done now.

When he returned the night before he had been anxious and buzzing with excitement. He had asked for Koala right away.

"Your Highness?" Her voice had come teasing him through the cracked door. "Are you still awake in there?"

Sabo jumped to his feet, leaving the overstuffed chair he'd been sitting in while he waited for her. "I need your help-" He glowered at her, catching the use of the title. "You know I hate that." He grumbled, pulling her into the room.

She grinned, pushing him playfully as he practically yanked her inside. Once released she reached up to dust his shoulders. "And you know I'm only teasing Sabo." She arched her brows with curiosity. "What do you need my help with?"

After making sure his door was closed Sabo collapsed to the floor, sitting in front of his huge fireplace like they had when they were kids. "I've decided that I'm not going to marry the Princess." He stared at the plush carpet, feeling anxious. "Tonight at the circus...I should have seen it before! I finally realized that it's my way out."

There was a beat of silence and Koala lowered herself onto the carpet beside him. "Sabo-"

"Listen." He caught her hands and clung to them. "I'm not going to break my-"

She rolled her eyes.

"-I mean...I can't stay here. And if anything-"

Koala tugged her hands free and instead grabbed his. "I know." She told him. "I know you can't stay here. Everyday it gets harder for you and I hate seeing you waste away."

Sabo was stunned. 

"I'll help you. I'll do whatever I can." She promised. "You can't stay here."

"But Koala-"

She kicked his knee. "I'll be fine you big idiot. Don't waste your shot at freedom for me." Koala took a breath, a wave of emotions playing across her face. "Let go of your foolish promise, it's okay."

The memory struck him.

'Never again.' He cried laying in the castle infirmary. Beside him a nurse lowered Koala, bandaged from head to toe onto a cot. 'I'll never try to escape again if they hurt you because of me!'

"I..." He stared at her amazed. They had only been children at the time. "I didn't know you heard that. I thought you were unconscious."

Koala managed a heavy laugh. "You're a loud mouthed brat."

That got him to smile.

"And..." Now she stared at the floor. "You've kept it long enough." Her shoulders trembled. "I've kept you here long enough." Before he could protest she pushed on. "So, as long as it's safe there I will do everything in my power to get you out of here."

Sabo held her hand tightly. "It's a circus." He jested weakly. "And I have your help this time. I just need you to get me out of here. They leave tomorrow."

Clearly fighting her emotions Koala managed to grin. "You'll be careful?"

Despite the bittersweet air around them he grinned back. He couldn't help it. "I swear." 

His eyes trailed over the walls he'd been trapped in since he'd been born. Was this really happening? After tonight he'd never have to see them again. He would never have to fake smiles or dance with girls who were only interested in his title. He would never have to marry Princess Vivi. In fact, he'd never have to see the woman again.

With a tug he pulled his friend to her feet and hugged her tightly. "Thank you." He said earnestly. 

She let out a long sigh. "If you stop being careful I'll find out! And then I'll come and get you you big idiot!" Koala stepped out of the hug and watched him carefully. "And when I'm done covering for you, if you're having fun...you'll save a place in the circus for me?"

"Of course I will." He swore. "And even if I didn't I know you would fine me anyway."

"Absolutely."

He had not been able to shake that conversation from his mind. They had spent the rest of the night planning and after that they spent it talking, enjoying one another's company. After today who knew when, or if they ever saw each other again.

Ahead of him Koala stopped so suddenly he almost crashed into her. 

Cursing she shot him a glare. "Are you paying any attention?!" She hissed. 

Sabo crouched down beside her. They were already at the outskirts of the city, hiding behind a really sad looking bush. It was lumpy and lopsided but only a few feet away was a silent circus tent. 

"Are you ready? Do you have everything you need?" Koala asked for what had to be the thousandth time. 

He nodded, lifting the small bag he carried as proof. "I am." He was exhilarated. In the next few moments he would leave his life behind. It was still hard to believe. Sabo glanced at Koala her anxious worry and approaching tears were plain to see. "You better come find me."

"You know I will once everything is sorted out on this end." She pulled him into one last hug, holding him close. "Stay safe. Have lots of fun." Her voice whispered. "Now go." 

Sabo kissed the top of her head before he rose. "I will." He said, pulling up his hood and facing the circus. "Thank you Koala. For everything."

He forced his grief aside. He didn't want to see anymore goodbyes on her face or the pain mixed with the joy she felt for him. He took a deep breath, shouldered his bag and stepped among the bright tents leaving Prince Sabo behind him. 

Vivi:

Vivi hurried through the encampment, keeping her head low. All around her there were people packing, tearing down tents or getting prepared for the few performances they had to make some last minute coin. 

So far no had given her a second glance and that alone was making her heart pound. She could be anyone here, whoever she wanted! All she had to do was find a place to lay low for now. Her eye scanned the area looking for a cart or an empty tent to hide in.

The night before she had made her plan, stealing maid clothes in the middle of the night. She made sure her hair was tied back and covered. No need to make it easy if someone was going to recognize her.

Spotting a plain and quiet tent Vivi ducked inside and let out a sigh of relief. It appeared to be a storage tent of sorts, full of crates of food and extra clothes. It was one of the few places that was quiet and she hoped it would go undisturbed for most of the day.

The sound of approaching footsteps shook her from her thoughts. Heart pounding Vivi lurched forwards, ducking behind a crate just in time. 

She watched a pair of well made boots enter and linger momentarily. It seemed whoever it was was in no hurry for they lowered themselves to the ground across from her and pulled back their hood. As soon as Vivi saw Sabo's face all rational thought escaped her. 

''You!" She hissed, anger consuming her worry. He was here for her wasn't he?! Before she realized it she had stomped her way over to him like she might attack. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

The Prince jumped, slamming his head on a crate behind him and he jumped again when he saw her face. "What am I doing here?!" Sabo rubbed his head and glared up at her. "What are you doing here?!" He demanded, his voice snapping with just as much surprise and anger.

She was furious. "You followed me didn't you?! Well I'm not going back!" Vivi leaned over him. letting her rage make her presence as intimidating as she could. "You can't force me to! And if you think you can convince me to marry you and spend the rest of my life at your beck and call you've got another thing coming Your Highness."

Sabo jumped to his feet, knocking over a crate of apples. "Followed you?! I couldn't get away from you and this marriage fast enough!" Now he towered over her. "Don't call me-" He stopped and the two of them stared at each other processing one another's words.

Vivi pushed him away, trying to think. "Don't you...but I thought..." Sabo was trying to escape their marriage too? "What do you mean? Why are you here at the circus?"

He blinked, confusion replacing the anger on his face. "What does it look like I'm doing?" He tugged on his cloak. "When was the last time you saw a royal sneaking around without their guards?"

She studied him, judging how truthful and honest he sounded. "I-"

The tent opening was thrown wide, casting the morning sun across the two runaways. It was too late to try to hide and the two froze as a young man with dark hair stomped his way in. He didn't noticed them right away, his gaze glued to the crates of food but the next step he took sent him tumbling to the ground falling over the spilled apples. 

He let out a surprised shriek and collapsed between the two of them on the ground. Vivi had a moment to notice a small scar under his left eye before he spoke. "Huh? Who are you guys?"

Seconds stretched into eternity as she and Sabo stared at guy on the ground. "Shit." She swore, and in a show of very un-princess like behavior she reached down, grabbed him by the front of his shirt and dragged him to his feet. They had to buy his silence somehow!

"What are we going to do?!" Sabo gasped, looking to her for help. She couldn't help scoffing. How prepared was this guy?

"Why are you so upset?" Dark eyes bounced between Vivi and Sabo as the young man didn't seem to care that a strange woman had him by his shirt front. His hand idly searched a nearby crate for food, worry absent from his face.

"You- we-" She sputtered looking from him to Sabo and back. Vivi scrambled to find an explanation, from the surprised look on Sabo's face he would be no help! "Um...we're uh..." She blurted out the first thing she could think of. "We're part of the circus!"

She felt Sabo's incredulous gaze on her face. "Yeah." He agreed halfheartedly. "We're...the new recruits." It sounded more like a question that a statement but their captive didn't seem to care.

He was busy stuffing an apple in his mouth and spoke between bites. "Okay." He grinned at the both of them. "Have you seen my brother yet?"

Vivi cast a side glance at Sabo. Brother? Who was his brother? "Uh no we haven't...should we?" Her heart skipped a beat. What if he was in charge?!

This time Sabo was quick to aid her. "We got a little lost on our way to him." 

Their captive shoved two more apples into his mouth and easily twisted out of Vivi's grasp. "Ish dish way." He mumbled past the fruit and latched onto both their wrists, pulling them beyond the wall of the tent. 

"Oh okay." Vivi stumbled after him nervously but she suddenly found herself laughing as he dragged them along. His carefree nature and willingness to help them brought joy bubbling up inside her. If she pulled off this lie she could have it too! And she could shove whole apple into her mouth and no one could tell her no!

Sabo was tripping along worst than she was. "Who's your brother?" He asked over Vivi's laughter.

Their guide wove in and out of the tents, never pausing when he switched course. "My brother is Ace!" He proclaimed. "ACE!" He bellowed, tugging them towards a small tent.

"What Luffy?" A wary voice asked from within. "What do you need?"

The sound of Sabo choking on nothing brought Vivi's gaze to his face. What's wrong? She mouthed.

"I brought the new people!" Luffy shouted.

Sabo dragged his feet nervously. "Luffy does your brother-"

He didn't get to finish for Luffy had already shoved them both inside the tent.


	5. Sabo the Great and Vivi the Magnificent!

The Fire Dancer Ace:

Ace looked up to see Luffy shove two strangers into their tent. He arched a brow and rose out of a stretch. "New people?" The wariness faded from his voice. "You're joining the circus?" Teach hadn't mentioned any new people. Hell he wanted more- no. Ace wasn't going to think about that now. 

He studied the new comers skeptically. It was obvious they weren't supposed to be here. Ace could tell that the blonde shouldn't be in their ratty tent, not with those polished shoes and silky cloak. 

He considered the possibility that they were here as a prank and if that was the case it definitely wasn't going to go down well. Ace wasn't in the mood for anyone's crap, not even Luffy's.

The female nodded to him. "Yes- yes we're new performers!" She insisted nervously, patting the scarf that covered her head.

The man said nothing.

"OH!" Luffy shook his head. "This is...uh what are your names?"

Ace rolled his eyes. Trust his brother to forget that key detail.

"Um..." The girl shot a look at the blonde. "My name is Vivi." She stuck out her hand in greeting.

No more convinced than before that they belonged here he reached out and shook her hand. "Vivi. Nice to meet you." Ace said and then held his out his to the male. He frowned slightly, looking at him. Had he seen him somewhere before?

"S-Sabo." Sabo said, looking around nervously. 

"Sabo. Nice to meet you too." Ace offered the blonde a smile and squeezed his hand. He sure didn't look like he belonged. If he had to guess Ace was sure he was some type of noble from the area but if that was so then why was he here?

Luffy was busy glancing between the three of them. "I think they can join." He said with certainty. 

Without thinking Ace nodded. "Of course. We can always use more help." He glanced at his brother. "Lu can you take Vivi to Robin? She'll help you find a place." He told her. "I can find Sabo a job." As soon as the words left his mouth Ace knew what he had done. With just those few words he had crossed Teach, making this decision without him. But in the moment Ace didn't care, making the quick choice recklessly. Perhaps it was due to the left over anger and disbelief lingering from their argument.

Thankfully Luffy was happy to help and grabbed Vivi's hand. "Follow me!" He said and pulled her out of the tent leaving him and Sabo alone.

Sabo:

Vivi shot him a very threatening look on her way out which did not help his nerves. What was he supposed to say now? What sort of job was he going to get?

"So you're a performer?" Ace asked, turning towards a small table covered with makeup and jewelry. It seemed that they had interrupted his getting ready for a show. 

Sabo tried to give his answer convincingly but even he could hear how weak it was. "Yes." Being apart of a circus meant performing didn't it? So he had to say yes. 

Ace turned and looked at him incredulously. "Uh huh." He hummed. Turning back around he pulled off his shirt and tossed it onto a pile of items in the corner. "So what do you do?" He asked, clasping gold bands around his arms.

Sabo instinctively looked at the ground when Ace started to change. Of course he'd seen him shirtless when he performed but this seemed different. The only people Sabo saw shirtless was the occasional palace guard after training. Everything here was much more casual just like he always longed for!

Feeling like an idiot he stopped adverting his eyes and tried to casually look at Ace but he instantly felt like an even bigger idiot. Like he could stay focused looking at him! Sabo cleared his throat trying to come up with an answer and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. 

"Fire." The moment he said it his eyes grew wide. Shit! What the hell was he thinking?

Ace paused in the middle of putting an earring in. "Are you a fire dancer?" He asked turning to grin at him mischievously. 

Sabo blinked at his question, pulling his eyes from the tattoos on Ace's body. "Yes! Uh, I mean no..." He shook his head. "I'm not very good at it." More like he was afraid of it.

"Oh really?" Ace laughed softly and picked up one of the many torches in the tent. Sabo watched nervously as the Fire Dancer held it over a small candle on the table and lit it. "Let's see how good you are." In one swift motion he tossed the burning torched towards Sabo.

He flinched, watching the torch fly through the air towards him. With a fearful shriek he launched himself out of the way. The flames sputtered when they hit the ground and Sabo knew he should step on them before anything caught fire but he couldn't bring himself to move closer.

With ease Ace walked over to the torch and after licking his hand he snuffed out the flames. A beat of silence passed between them and then he was laughing. Shaking his head he twirled the torch in his hand. "Fire dancer my ass!" He dropped the torch with others and sat back down at the table, picking up a makeup brush. "Don't lie to me Sabo. Who are you really?"

It took a few moments for Sabo to register what had just happened. If his face wasn't red before it was red now. What the hell was wrong with him? He wished he could go back a few seconds and spare himself from his embarrassment. 

Ace had seen right through him. Sabo knew he hadn't done a good job lying but what was he supposed to say now? He could be thrown out into the city where he'd be recognized and returned to the palace! He stuttered over his tongue. "I-I'm just looking for some place to work..." Why did Vivi have to leave?! She seemed like she was much better at things like this.

"Right." The doubt was clear in Ace's voice. "I doubt working at the circus is going to make you more money than whatever job afforded you those silk robes." Ace watched him from the small mirror on the table. "So I'm gonna ask you one more time. Who are you really?"

Sabo started to sweat despite the cool morning air. He kept getting distracted by Ace instead of focusing on his words! He thought of Koala, imagining how she'd yell at him for not focusing on what was most important. It helped a bit. 

He thought of how she willingly helped him escape even though it hurt her to do it. He couldn't fail now but he couldn't lie anymore. Sabo made a fist. He had to tell the truth and hope Ace would help him. "I'm someone who wants to escape from here." He took a deep breath. He didn't know anything about Ace but his instincts told him he wasn't a bad guy. Sabo was about to put his future into his hands. "I'm also...the Prince of this kingdom."

Sabo watched as Ace comprehended the bombshell he'd just dropped. With wide eyes he walked over to him, studying him more closely now. He carefully reach out a hand and pulled part of Sabo's cloak aside, scrutinizing the clothes beneath. 

Sabo held his breath, heart pounding beneath Ace's gaze. He smelled like soot.

"Well Sabo...if you're trying to escape your princely duties you're going to need a more convincing wardrobe." Ace told him, dropping the cloak and crossing his arms. 

"It...uh yeah." He blinked. "Wait..." His blue eyes were wide. "You're going to help me?"

"What, you think I'm going to turn you away?" He smirked playfully but shifted nervously. "Most people here are running from something or other." Ace shrugged. "I've never met a prince running from his title though."

He could hardly believe it! He was really going to get away this time! "Th-thank you." Sabo's gaze traced his tattoos again, pondering their meaning. "But that's not the only thing..." He found himself muttering, hardly knowing why. Vivi's harsh words from the night before came to his mind. To think she hated the thought of marrying too!

"That you're running from? What did you kill somebody?" Ace asked, laughter in his voice. His grey eyes captured Sabo's, noticing the curious gaze that strayed to his tattoos. He sent him a bemused grin.

Sabo's face flushed, knowing he was caught. "Nothing like that." His blue eyes went to the ground. "More like an arranged marriage."

"Oh." Ace made a face, returning to his table. Sabo watched as he plucked up a flower pin and placed it in his hair. "That sounds...disgusting."

"That's one way to describe it." Sabo said, laughing at Ace's reaction. But Vivi had certainly surprised him this morning. "I think I was wrong about her though..."

"Oh yeah? Think you'll end up marrying her after all?" Ace asked finishing his makeup and jewelry. His costume was revealing as usual. Orange pants made of a sheer fabric with slits up the sides that gather at the ankle. He wore an array of gold costume jewelry around his neck, arms and ankles and his eyes were decorated with gold and red powers. 

Sabo cleared his throat, focusing on Ace's words. "I have no interest in marrying her at all- or the life that comes with it." He met Ace's eyes hopefully. "I want to be one of you guys. I want to find my place here."

Ace nodded slowly at Sabo's words. "Alright. Well Sabo, since I doubt your life as a prince taught you any circus skills I'm afraid there's not really an act or job I can just insert you into to. But-" He grabbed a torch. "If you don't mind being bored for the day you can hang around my tent while I perform and I'll talk to Robin about where we can put you this evening?" He gestured for Sabo to follow him outside the tent.

"I couldn't be bored here." Sabo said quickly. "There's still so much I haven't seen yet." He didn't want to appear too happy about sticking close to Ace, or too nervous about it. "I won't mind." 

Ace grinned over his shoulder and winked at him. "Good answer!" He said with a laugh and a slight bounce in his step. 

Sabo followed him closely, stopping when Ace paused at a nearby tent. The Fire Dancer stuck his head inside the small personal tent. "Hey Law- don't give me that look I've seen you in less. Can I borrow like, a coat or something?"

"A coat?" Sabo glanced down at the cloak he was already wearing. Was he really that obvious?

An irritated voice came from within. "Why do you need-"

"Ah I'm already running late!" Ace interrupted. "And I still have to grab Apoo can you help me out or am I gonna have to-" Ace's startled laugh became muffled by a long black coat that was thrown at his face.

Still laughing he offered it to Sabo. "Here put this on, we'll hid your cloak somewhere while I perform. Hopefully you and our Witch Doctor are similar in size."

Sabo took the coat gratefully, removing his cloak and slipping it on. "Thank you." He said, amazed by Ace's generosity. So far he had accepted him despite his background, promised to find him a place here and was helping him keep his secret hidden. Sabo couldn't have asked for more perfect circumstances. He was really going to pull this off!

Vivi:

Luffy lead Vivi to what he called the 'girls tent'. He said no males were allowed inside except that no one seemed to mind if he ever ended up inside. Despite the short time Vivi knew him she ended up not being surprised by that piece of news. 

"This is where you can find Robin." He told her, pointing to the flap and going no further. 

"Alright." She murmured, hesitating for only a moment. "Thank you Luffy. I'll see you later!" Vivi flashed him an excited and slightly nervous smile. This was different from her original plan to lay low and seamlessly integrate herself in the circus. However Vivi knew she would make it work, one way or another.

Taking a breath she lifted the flap and walked inside. The tent had a large interior, filled with packed crates and racks of clothes and make up spread about. She assumed the dark haired woman bent over some of the crates was Robin. Vivi mustered her courage, there was no going back now. "Excuse me?"

"One moment." The woman said over her shoulder. She finished folding away some fabric and stood, smiling at Vivi. "I'm sorry this isn't a performance tent. Did you get lost?"

"No I'm new. I'm a performer. I was told to come speak with Robin." She replied simply, trying to sound and be as honest as possible. As Vivi finished speaking it occurred to her that she was bond to ask what she could do. Vivi bit her lip. What could she say? Diplomacy? Strategizing?

"That would be me." Robin said. "You're a performer?" She puzzled aloud looking confused. "Who sent you here?"

"Ace, the Fire Dancer." Vivi answered quickly. "He said I should talk to you and oh! I'm Vivi by the way." She held out her hand, smiling nervously. 

The woman's eyes were keen and watched her carefully. "It's nice to meet you." Robin shook her hand. "What is it you're hoping to perform here? We have many acts already." She spoke with challenge in her voice.

What was she good at? Vivi was good at a million things but suddenly her mind was blank. From beyond the tent she heard the sound of an instrument and it struck her. "I'm a rather versatile dancer. And and fast learner!" She added quickly. It was a solid truth.

"A dancer." Robin repeated. "I am a dancer here. I'll have to see what you can do."

"You are!?" Vivi gasped, but she managed to relaxed with a bit of relief. At least she had a skill that was useful here. She was well versed in both traditional dances and some less so. "How delightful!"

Robin smiled. "Just be yourself and follow the music. If you feel ready now we can go by Nami and Nojiko's. They're finishing closing their tent but they won't mind a short interruption."

"Nami and Nojiko?" Vivi questioned.

"Ah, our Escape Artists." Robin clarified with a gentle smile. 

Vivi felt a jolt of terror in her chest. Of course she would be judged by the very people she'd been admiring the night before. "I've seen their act." She muttered, trailing after the older woman. 

"They're quite remarkable." Robin said. "At their tent isn't far." She eyed Vivi, slowing down so they walked side by side. "Would you mind telling me why you want to join us?"

"Oh well..." Vivi wondered how much she should reveal. "I'm...dissatisfied with the life I've been living. And I refuse to marry someone I've only just met. Everyone here seems so free I just...wanted to experience that for myself." Hopefully that was vague enough without sounding suspicious. 

"Our circus marches to it's own rhythm." The woman agreed. "You seem like you could fit in here." 

Vivi beamed. "Really? You think so?!"

"I do." Robin said, coming to a stop before the Escape Artists tent. She push back the canvas, entering directly in front of the stage. "Nami? Nojiko?"

The redhead poked her head out from behind the stage. "Robin! We're almost finished." She stepped onto the stage, hand on her hip. "Who's this?" She asked her brown eyes capturing Vivi's violet ones

"I'm Vivi." Vivi said, her stomach twisting under her gaze. 

"Nami." The redhead replied, lowering herself to the edge of the stage, swing her legs idly. "What brought you here?"

"She's interested in dancing so I brought her here to see what she can do." Robin clarified.

Emerging from a curtain the other woman- Nojiko- Vivi could assume, came and sat beside Nami. "It's nice to meet you." She said with a kind smile. "What kind of dancing do you do?"

"I know several styles of dance." Vivi answered, palms sweaty. She made her way onto the stage, standing just to the side of Nami. She was even more beautiful up close and Vivi felt self conscious beneath all their eyes. 

"Well I'll play a beat and you dance whatever you feel like!" A foreign voice declared. 

Vivi jumped in surprise, spotting a man with large teeth sitting in the corner with a drum.

"Go easy on her Apoo." Robin warned. 

The man laughed. "We'll see!"

"You have nothing to worry about." Nami said to her. "Just be yourself."

She nodded and carefully removed the scarf from her head. It would most likely fall off anyway, besides she wasn't going to hide forever. Feeling a bit more confident with Nami's assurance Vivi removed the cloak she wore as well, revealing a worn pair of pants and a maids blouse. 

The drum beat began lightly, starting low and smooth. Vivi moved to match it, her footwork precise. She swung her hips, loose and low. She knew she looked stiff. She just had to relax and stop worrying about making a mistake or that they wouldn't like the Alabastian dance she was performing.

After a few moments she felt the beat change and she followed, giving Apoo a wry smile. Some of her nerves left her as she successfully kept up with him. She had to switch her rhythm, falling into something more playful and flirty. 

In front of her saw Nami swinging her legs to the beat, watching her curiously. Vivi found herself grinning, relaxing more and more. 

Apoo and Vivi went back and forth, each one changing something up and the other was always quick to follow. She ended up laughing aloud, spinning around fearlessly. There was a mutual communication flowing between them, something she had never felt before. 

She loved it already. 

She glanced at Robin, happy to see her smiling. Vivi felt pride swell in her chest. She would definitely find a place here.

~

ART OF LUFFY AND ACE'S CIRCUS COSTUMES ABOVE BY THE AMAZING Allspice


	6. Bad News and Close Calls

Vivi:

It all happened faster than she would've imagined. Robin told Vivi that they would fit her in a small segment of the afternoon performance and sent her with Nami. The Escape Artist was going to find her a costume and do her hair and makeup. She was eager to help, leading Vivi into a small tent she shared with her sister Nojiko.

"I'm thinking something shimmery for a strong eye catching effect." Nami said, navigating her way through racks of clothes towards a lower counter that held jewelry, makeup and brushes.

"You think so?" Vivi asked gingerly. She had never seen such a variety of clothing before. Nami and Nojiko had many interesting tastes!

Nami nodded, vanishing for a moment behind some clothes. With a gasp she emerged with a deep purple top in hand. "What do you think of this?" It was shiny and covered with what Vivi believed were called sequins. It was very short. 

"I like it if you do." Vivi replied boldly. She had never worn something so...risque before but she was excited to see what it would be like.

"I think it's perfect." Nami said, handing it to her. "Could you step back for a moment?"

Tentative but willing she moved a few feet away. Vivi felt her face flush as Nami studied her waist and legs. 

"I have a matching skirt but you may have to wear it low on your hips. You're a bit taller than me." Her eyes were narrowed in thought and she dug through more clothing, removing said skirt. "You can change in there." She pointed to a small curtain in the back.

Taking the long skirt as well as the top Vivi shuffled her way to the back. "Thank you for letting me borrow your things." She pushed back the curtain and let it fall closed behind her.

"Ah it's no problem." She heard Nami say. "I don't need most of these for my performances anyway. I just like keeping everything I find or buy." There was something sly in her voice. "You never know what you might need."

VIvi changed quickly, leaving her stolen clothes in a heap on the floor. Taking a deep breath she ran her hands over the top that exposed most of her stomach. What if she didn't look good in this? She peered at her tan feet that poked out from beneath the skirt and sighed. Nami sounded certain about it...

The curtain swished as she pushed it open. "How's this?" She asked, twirling slowly. 

"Vivi you're wonderful!" Nami exclaimed with a smile. "Here, you tell me what you think." She carefully placed her hands on Vivi's shoulders, guiding her to stand before a mirror. "It's important that you're comfortable."

"I-I like it." She confessed, feeling daring after Nami's compliment. "I've never worn anything like it before!" Vivi had never worn something so flashy and fun. She couldn't help turning this way and that, watching the frothy skirt flare at the bottom and cling to her waist at the top.

"Oh?" Nami pulled a wooden stool over so Vivi could sit. "What do you usually wear when you dance?"

"Oh, whatever is laying around..." Underneath the skirt her leg started to bounce but she forced her face to be calm. It wasn't necessarily a lie but she couldn't exactly say she usually wore gowns made of the finest silks. 

"Whatever's laying around?" Nami repeated with amusement. "Careful, that almost makes you sound like a thief." Brush in hand she went about smoothing Vivi's already smooth hair. 

Nami's reply made her laugh. "I didn't mean it like that." She felt herself beginning to relax. "I meant whatever I have laying around." Vivi smiled at her in the mirror.

"You never know. Sometimes you just can't help it." Nami said, running her fingers through Vivi's hair. An odd look appeared on her face. "I don't even need a brush." She mumbled with something like admiration.

Vivi laughed again, a blush creeping into her cheeks while her leg bounced nervously. "I just keep it as neat as possible." She explained. "If I don't it can get really wild and messy." Her hand brushed away at her bangs. She wasn't sure anyone had ever brushed their fingers through her hair like this before. 

"On day you'll have to share you secret." Nami said with a wink and began twisting braids into the blue locks. "I could have twice as many people coming to see me if I had hair this smooth and distracting. It looks gorgeous under the lights."

For a moment Vivi's heart skipped and then she realized what Nami had meant. The secret about her hair. She let out a small sigh of relief. "You flatter me." She managed between the anxiety and butterflies. 

Nami reached over her shoulder, plucking up some pins from the counter. "Oh no I mean it."

"Well that's very...sweet of you to think so..." She said softly. 

"So how did you find us?" Nami asked curiously, switching for a makeup brush. She knelt in front of Vivi. "Close."

Her eyes closed with no hesitation. "I visited and fell in love with your circus." This time the words rung with honesty. "It seemed- seems like the perfect escape, if that makes much sense."

"It's a good place to be." Nami said, tracing a brush across Vivi's eyelids. "Nojiko and I practically grew up here. A lot of us have." She switched to her other eye. "Some of us were running from something or another or had no other place to go. We live apart from the day to day life so your escape should be a success."

Vivi's lips split into a grin. "I'm sure it will. I'm so excited to be apart of all this!" Her fingers tapped away across her knees to the rhythm Apoo had played. She couldn't believe her luck! She had already found a place and although the Prince's presence was unexpected she had the feeling he had been telling her the truth.

Nami's airy laugh drifted around her. "We don't get new people too often, especially if there's someone with a similar skill already." Finished with Vivi's eyes she moved onto her cheeks. "Robin likes you which is a really good thing."

"I'm glad she does." Vivi admitted between Nami's brush strokes. "She seems very wise."

"I've always thought so. It's interesting though...some of your dance reminded me of a bit of Robin's style..."

A new pang of anxiety washed over Vivi. They had similar dance styles?! But she had only used Alabastian steps! "Oh that is interesting..." She said calmly. "I wonder if it originates where Robin came from?" She prompted hesitantly. "I only learned from a teacher not too far from here..."

Nami shrugged. "I'm not sure if it is or not. Not a lot of us talk about where we came from before this."

Vivi's heart sank. In other words she wouldn't get to know if Robin was from Alabasta. "I suppose that makes sense..."

Changing the subject, Nami gestured to the mirror. "Do you like it?"

She had nearly forgotten about the makeup. Catching sight of her face Vivi raised her brows. "Wow!" There were subtle enhancements to her cheeks and lips but her eyes glittered and stood out dramatically. "You're a miracle worker!"

Smirking, Nami rolled her eyes. "I can work miracle but this wasn't one of them. I only added to what is already there and matched the outfit. You're already beautiful." She finished rather seriously.

For a moment Vivi was speechless. Nami- the gorgeous talented performer was calling her beautiful. It wasn't as though she had ever been overly concerned about her appearance or that no one had called her such before, but hearing it had never felt so honest or genuine. So personal.

People in the circus were much more open about their feelings than nobility. Maybe it was time to follow suit. 

"You're beautiful too." Vivi blurted. "I thought so last night when I saw you perform and again today." She smiled sheepishly. "I'm not used to being so upfront with people."

In the mirror Nami blinked. "Ah, thank you..." Her voice trailed off for a moment and then; "Well lets get going and help Robin finish! She's expecting us." 

Sabo:

For the first time he got to see Ace perform twice in the same year. Throughout the course of the day Sabo found himself wondering how Ace learned to dance and whether he grew up at the circus or joined like Sabo wanted to.

In the tent he sat where he wanted, a spot in the front and off to the side. Ace and Apoo held a steady banter between themselves while warming up until Apoo slipped backstage when the tent opened. During the short performance Sabo decided to watch the number differently. His blue eyes trailed the Fire Dancer, searching for the technique and purpose behind each movement.

When Sabo called himself a fire dancer he knew he'd never be able to deliver on such a thing. But dancing itself? He already knew the basics after years and years of lessons and practice but the dancing at the circus wasn't what was considered 'proper'. All Sabo had was a foot in the door so whatever he could pick up from observing would save him from embarrassment later. He wasn't sure if he would make it as a dancer or a performer but he wanted to try.

"We've got a little break now." Ace's voice said, shaking him from his thoughts. 

"You've got a break! I'm off!" Apoo shouted, gathering his instruments and hurrying out of the now empty tent. 

On his way out the musician passed someone entering. He was tall, dressed in dark robes and wore an impassive expression. 

"Law! What brings you out from under your rock?" Ace asked, laughter in his voice and mirth in his eyes. 

Sabo shifted uncomfortably. This was the Witch Doctor whose coat he was wearing. He offered the man a polite smile as a greeting.

Law frowned at Ace and practically glared at Sabo. "I need to have a word with you." He told Ace, coming up to the both of them.

Ace arched a brow, the laughter falling from his voice at the serious tone in Law's. "Okay. What's going on?" 

The man closed his eyes for a brief (and what Sabo thought was exasperated) moment. "I need a word with you." Law's yellow eyes turned to Sabo pointedly. "Alone."

Sabo took a step back. "Oh, I can leave it's no problem." He couldn't help wondering what was so serious but then again he was still an outsider. Perhaps it was just some personal business. 

Ace wasn't fazed and waved his concern away. "Don't worry about it Sabo." He moved towards the entrance, gesturing for Law who grabbed his arm and dragged him the rest of the way. Ace protested loudly until he was released. 

From across the tent they would be hard to hear but Sabo could still clearly see them. Too curious to ignore their exchange he watched Law start talking urgently. Frustration flitted across Ace and then it melted into something else. The Fire Dancer stared at Law with wide eyed shock, shaking his head and then he exploded. 

"WHAT?! Are you serious-" Law hushed him quickly and the two of them began whispering rapidly, looking more and more upset. 

Sabo's curiosity quickly turned into concern. He didn't want to look like he was watching them but there wasn't much else to do. As their anger rose and fell he managed to catch only snippets.

"Calm down-"

"Calm down!?" Ace exclaimed. "You're not the one who-"

Law was shaking his head. "-but do you want to make things worse?"

After a few more words Ace stared at the Witch Doctor for a long moment. 

Sabo took two steps forward and then two steps back. What was he thinking? If they wanted him involved they wouldn't have walked away.

Ace groaned, burying his face into his hands...and then he was pacing. Back and forth in a small section of the tent angrily.

"Ace- Ace would you just listen, I'm not done!" Law snapped at him.

Whatever Law was telling Ace had made him more than angry. What could possibly being gone on at the circus to cause such a reaction? Sabo felt second hand anxiety and didn't notice when someone approached him.

"How did you get Torao's coat?" 

Sabo jumped, turning in surprise to see Luffy staring up at him. He was still dressed in his costume and watched Sabo suspiciously. 

Hearing Luffy's voice Ace and Law stopped in their tracks, distracting Sabo further. Confused, he glanced at the coat. "Torao?" His eyes bounced between Luffy, Ace and Law. "I borrowed this from someone named Law."

"That's what I said." Luffy replied seriously, clearing nothing up for him.

"Hey Luffy!" Ace called, approaching the two of them. He wore a smile now, hardly a trace of his previous mood visible. Law trailed after him warily. "What are you pestering him about?"

"Huh?" Luffy turned, noticing the other two. "Torao!" He grinned and grabbed Sabo's arm, pulling him towards Law. "Have you met?! This is-" Luffy stopped short and stared at Sabo. "What was your name again?"

Surprised at the strength of Luffy's grip, Sabo shuffled forward awkwardly. "S-Sabo." He muttered.

Law raised his brows at Luffy's enthusiasm, and silently examined Sabo. "Not really. Thanks for introducing us." He grumbled and turned away without another word, exiting the way he entered.

"Wow Luffy." Ace teased. "I feel so loved." He leaned to Sabo and spoke quietly. "Don't worry about Law."

Sabo nodded, confusion still bouncing around his mind. 

Luffy crossed his arms as he watched Law leave. "What did you do tonight Sabo? The other one is dancing with Robin!"

With that news Sabo couldn't help feeling jealous. It sounded like Vivi had fit it with no trouble at all! 

Ace laughed softly. "He sat in my tent and kept Apoo entertained! I'm going to have to teach him an act or something soon!" He paused in apparent thought, his expression suddenly going sour. 

"I'm sure I'll learn something." Sabo said hurriedly. Ace wasn't concerned about that was he? 

"Don't worry!" Luffy exclaimed. "Ace can teach you to dance!" He glanced up at his brother with a grin but it faltered once he saw Ace's expression.

"Mmm I can teach you fire dancing- or just dancing to start." Ace mumbled absently but when he caught Luffy's gaze he smiled. "Hell dancing by itself isn't bad, I bet Luffy could teach you!" He patted both of them on the back. 

Sabo really hoped he didn't have to start with fire. "Dancing would be a good place to start."

"I'm better at this." said Luffy. Suddenly his body was twisting in ways that Sabo was certain no persons body should and became a tangled mess of limbs. He stared at him, slightly put off.

"Ah yeah he does that." Ace explained. "Our best contortionist!" He lowered himself to the ground and stretched his legs out in front of him. The Fire Dancer reached forwards until his chest was pressed against his legs. "This is about as close as I can get to that mess."

Sabo stared and sat down between the two. "How did you learn how to do that?!" It looked beyond unnatural and more than strange. Even the extent Ace could bend surprised him. He doubted he'd even be able to do something like that. 

Luffy was busy laughing at Sabo's reaction. "I've always been more flexible than Ace." He easily twisted into a form Sabo could recognize. "That move was new. I discovered it earlier!"

Ace sat up out of his stretch. "I thought that one looked new."

"What other acts are there?" Sabo asked. He had attended the circus for years but only managed to see maybe two other acts outside of the fire dancing one.

Luffy crossed his legs, sitting tall. "You met Tra, he's a Witch Doctor! Usopp throws knives...Zoro swallows swords..." He beamed suddenly. "Brook is a skeleton! And he's my grandpa."

Ace scoffed and reached past Sabo. He braced his hand on Luffy'a head and gave him a shove. "Brook is not a skeleton and he's not your grandpa!" He rolled his eyes. "He's just an old man who wears makeup to perform!"

"But no one knows anything about him!" Ace's brother insisted. "And he never takes his makeup off!"

The image of the tall statue like man grinning widely came to Sabo and he laughed at Luffy's idea.

"Okay just because no one has seen him without makeup doesn't mean it's not makeup." Ace said and continued for Sabo. "We got a mime, a strong man- oh Sanji started talking about trapeze again!" He told Luffy. "Franky mentioned getting lumber for it just yesterday."

Luffy was thoughtful. "He'll probably ask Teach about it again then..."

"It sounds like I have a lot of people to meet." Sabo interjected. 

Ace nodded, a distant and tense look on his face again. "Definitely. We'll get you acquainted with the others once we're on the road... And don't tag along this time if Sanji decides to ask Teach again!" He warned, reaching over and giving Luffy another shove.

"Hey!" Luffy shoved Ace back and scooted away before he could retaliate. "Sanji deserves his own act he's really good!"

Gasping, Ace sent Luffy an offended look. "I never said he didn't! And did you just shove me?" He asked with mock offense and shifted, crouching like he might pounce on Luffy any second.

Watching the two brothers interact filled Sabo with a sense of sadness. It hadn't even been a full day yet but the prospect of not knowing when he'd see Koala again was an unpleasant one. In their younger years they had spent many afternoons rolling around in the courtyards wrestling each other. When they got older however Sabo made sure to never give her the chance to grab him. Hack taught her how to fight regularly and even though she was smaller than Sabo, she was much stronger and faster. He wondered how she was doing and how well her plan was working out...

Around him Luffy and Ace were busy teasing each other. It wasn't until Luffy took shelter behind Sabo that he focused in on what was being said.

"Sabo will be too good to sell popcorn too!" Luffy declared, hanging onto the blonde's shoulders.

"You cheating little bastard!" Ace grumbled. "You know, when Sabo is too good to sell popcorn I'm gonna make you sell it!" He was busy looking past Sabo, leaning one way and then the other trying to find an opening to get to Luffy. He deliberated for moment then shrugged and lunged at the both of them. The trio was knocked into the dirt, sending a cloud of dust into the air. 

Luffys roaring laugh echoed in Sabo's ear as they hit the ground and his own surprised laughter escaped his lips. It felt good to laugh freely and as loudly as you wanted. 

"I'm only gonna sell it...!" Luffy declared while he squirmed, freeing an arm and punching at Ace. "...if I can eat it!"

"What?! No idiot it's for customers!" Ace protested, absently pinning both Sabo and Luffy to the ground while he pinched Luffys nose. "But if you're paying for it then you can inhale it for all I care!" 

Sabo watched Ace's grey eyes crinkle with laughter. He looked relaxed and happy now, unlike the expression he wore just minutes ago. Sabo was glad his irritation faded, he enjoyed Ace's smile. "He's got us both Luffy what are we going to do now?" He asked, joining in with the playful atmosphere. 

Luffy pushed Ace's arm away from his face. "No he doesn't!" He wiggled some more, freeing his other arm from beneath Sabo followed by a leg.

"Hey! You stop that!" Ace grabbed at Luffy, nearly throwing him onto Sabo. "Sabo help me trap him!" He called through laughter, half straddling Sabo as he tried to wrangle his brother. 

He was glad Luffy practically weighed nothing or the wind would have been knocked out of him. It was strange to be rolling around in the dirt like this with people he barely knew but apparently this was normal? With a grin Sabo wrapped his arms around Luffy, pinning him to his chest.

"Sabo you're supposed to be on my side!" Luffy exclaimed, struggling in both their holds. He bent his leg in a way only a contortionist could and aimed for Ace's face. "This isn't fair!"

Ace shrieked with mock fear, ducking around his kick and grabbing his foot. "Ha! He's been working with me all along! You're trapped baby brother!" He crowed, letting his full weight collapse onto the both of them.

Sabo gasped in surprise at the added weight and black hair that flung into his face. He felt his cheeks heat as he realized how close Ace was. Now he could make out every freckle splashed across his face and he momentarily forgot about Luffy, his arms loosening.

"Not fair!" The Contortionist cried but managed to squeeze his arms free, pushing off Ace's shoulder and sliding onto the ground next to them. "I win!"

Sabo burst into laughter, gasping in surprise as Ace suddenly collapsed against his chest. Ace was still laughing but blue eyes locked on grey as the space between them drastically decreased. If he thought they were close before then what was this? 

"Sorry." Ace breathed after staring for a long moment. His breath tickled Sabo's face. "Am I crushing you?"

Sabo fought with his nerves so he could speak. "Yes- no uh..." What was he trying to say?! "Not really?" Was he? Sabo couldn't tell although he did feel his hands pressed against Ace's bare chest. 

Another close moment passed then Ace cleared his throat and rose to his feet. "I'll get you next time Luffy. When I'm not tired out from performing." Standing, he offered Sabo a hand up.

Trying to clear his head Sabo took his hand and came to his feet easily. Whatever just happened had passed but he blinked a few times, waiting for his heart to slow down.

"Speaking of, do you know if Robin is done?" Ace asked, rocking back onto his heels and dusting off his orange pants. 

Luffy squinted in thought. "They were doing their last act when I came over." He said, climbing to his feet too. 

"Shit." Ace muttered, frowning a little before glancing to Sabo. At the sight of the disheveled Prince he grinned. "Hey Luffy, could you stay with Sabo while I go find Robin? I need to talk to her before we hit the road.

Sabo wondered briefly if Robin had anything to do with what Ace and Law had been discussing but he tried not to think too much about it. 

Luffy grumbled but didn't argue. "Fine." He said, crossing his arms and watching Ace closely. 

"Thanks. Maybe take Sabo to go hang out with Law or..." Ace shook his head. "Nah just stay close to Law." He suggested then quickly ran off, ducking out of the tent.

Sabo shook his head. He hadn't forgotten how unhappy Law looked when Luffy introduced him. "I have no problem staying here." He said.

"It's okay he won't mind." Luffy insisted and lead the way back out into the open air.


	7. Ace's Problem

The Witch Doctor Law:

Law sat in his tent, extinguishing the last of the candles and gathering the rest of his things. He couldn't shake the look in Ace's eyes when he told the Fire Dancer of Teach's plan. Law didn't blame Ace for reacting as he had. The threat of death was a heavy one, especially when it concerned the people you cared about. The Witch Doctor knew that all too well.

But that wasn't the only thing he couldn't shake.

'You'll take care of Luffy? If-if anything happens to me?' Ace's grey eyes had been heavy with fear when he'd asked that.

The question had hit Law like a punch to the stomach. If something happened to Ace? The thought of Ace dying was something he would rather not ponder but he had to think realistically and when he did, he didn't like the outcome. Just imagining what Luffy would be like if Ace died was enough to set Law on edge. He hated the thought of Luffy going through something like that and if Ace lost Luffy... Well no matter what did or didn't happen, Teach wasn't going to get away with anything. 

The Witch Doctor sighed aloud, closing a case of supplies. Of course he would take care of Luffy, he couldn't imagine doing anything different. Pulling himself from the dark thoughts Law glanced around the small tent. With the loose items secured he slipped out into the approaching evening. He was already tired, it had been a long week for all of them and on top of that Teach's anger had made everything more exhausting. 

Glancing at the vanishing light he hoped Luffy would have enough energy to be alert as they traveled. Otherwise he was going to fall asleep walking. 

He was just reaching for one of the tent stakes when someone shouted at him. 

"Torao!?"

Law took a moment to wonder if he had somehow summoned the Contortionist with his thoughts before rising. "Luffy." He answered back, always at a loss as to how to respond to one of Luffy's nicknames. "What is it?"

"Ace sent me here with Sabo." He declared, gesturing to the mysterious blonde man who trailed behind him. Luffy was already scanning Law's ten with understanding. "We'll help you finish packing." 

Law frowned and gently ushered Luffy away from the stake he had begun to pull from the ground. "No thank you. I don't need your clumsy fingers or Sabo's inexperienced ones touching any of my things." He grumbled out of habit more than anything. The Witch Doctor found it relieving to have Luffy nearby. Especially with what was going on with Teach.

When it came to Sabo he wasn't sure what the deal was or why Ace was hiding him. It didn't take a genius to realize that on top of disobeying Teach, Ace was up to something else as well. And the fact that the Fire Dancer had sent him to Law was more proof Ace didn't want him noticed by someone he couldn't trust. 

The blonde fidgeted under Law's gaze and awkwardly brushed off the borrowed coat he wore. "...I'll wash it for you." The man offered hesitantly. 

Law scoffed. "Relax. Dirt won't hurt it." He didn't care much about his coat. Not when there were more important things going on. 

"What else are we supposed to do if we don't help you?" Luffy asked, dragging his bare feet through the grass around the tent. 

He rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "I don't know." Law admitted and sighed again, watching the way Luffy dragged his feet. He should be wearing shoes out here, who knew what was hiding in the grass after hundreds of customers had tramped over it again and again. "Go put something on your feet and then you can help me take the tent down if you're so bored." He suggested. 

Luffy's face lit up. "I'll be right back!" He announced and charged away towards his own tent, leaving Sabo and Law alone. 

With Luffy's momentary absence Law could focus on the stranger. It was no wonder Ace had wanted to cover him up with something. Even in the dim light there was something altogether different about Sabo. It was in the very way he carried himself. "So, Sabo right?" He asked gruffly. It was already clear the man was on edge, maybe pushing him further would help clear things up for Law. 

"Right." Sabo replied, looking mildly surprised. 

"Why is it that you've decided to join us?" Law asked, doubting he'd get a straight answer. He wouldn't press too hard, everyone had their secrets, but he at least wanted some idea as to what Ace was up to. 

Sabo frozen for just a moment, his light eyes roaming what remained of the circus. "I...I've always loved the circus and I've been coming here since I was a child." He shrugged. "I guess I'm looking for the exciting life I have seen here everyday."

That was certainly a much more genuine answer than Law had been expecting. He had figured Sabo would be some sort of bad news. "It must be a dream come true for you to be here then." He murmured, his gaze shifting to the familiar silhouette approaching them. Luffy was back.

"It is." The man manged just as Luffy rushed up to them. 

"I have my sandals now." Luffy nimbly lifted his leg out in front of both of them as proof, raising it almost above his head. "We can help you now."

Law leaned back just in time to avoid being kicked. "Yes I can see- you don't have to get your foot to my eye level for me to see your sandals!"

Across from him Sabo was laughing at Luffy's entrance and Law softened his voice. "Let's take this thing down and get on the road."

Luffy grinned at Sabo. "He's not really grumpy all the time he just pretends to be."

Law rolled his eyes but couldn't help the smile that he kept to himself. 

The Fire Dancer Ace:

"Robin?" Ace rushed quickly to the open tent and ducked inside. Spotting her packing away props he felt a wave of anxiety. "I know it's almost time to go but do you have a minute? I only need one." He spoke rapidly, adrenaline pumping through his veins. 

The dark haired woman glanced away from her work with a smile that melted into surprise. "Slow down." She said worriedly. "Has something happened? Is everyone alright?"

"What? Yes-" He hesitated at that. Everyone was currently alright but... "Yes everyone is fine but-" Ace paused, struggling. "I need a favor." He felt like he was asking everyone for favors today. Asking Law to watch over Luffy, for Luffy to stay with Sabo and now Robin...everything was rapidly piling up.

Robin eyed him curiously. Her gaze, as most knew, missed very little. "A favor? What is it you need?"

"You met Vivi already- and there's another newcomer. His name is Sabo, I haven't introduced him to you yet." Ace explained, his mind running a mile a minute. How was he supposed to ask this without sounding shady as hell? But was there really any other way? 

Ace glanced at her as she waited and took a chance. "So I didn't get Teach's permission before letting them join..." He hurried on before she could react. "I didn't want to ask! There was- is some stuff going on... Anyway, would you mind, maybe not telling him? I will handle it once we're on the road." He assured. Robin was clever enough to know what all this meant. By hiding two newcomers he was crossing Teach's authority and his position. 

Her cool gaze studied him, an unsettled look falling over Robin. "If you're asking me to do such a thing, would you be able to assure me that it is for a good reason?"

He didn't miss a beat. "Yes- yes I guarantee I have a good reason. Things will go much more smoothly if he doesn't know right away." Ace felt some of the tension leaving him already. "And it's not like having them here will change much right now, we're traveling!" If Robin didn't help him out things were going to get a lot worse. 

After scrutinizing him a moment longer she nodded. "Do you know what you're doing?" Robin cautioned sternly. 

Ace was able to relax at the sight of her nod. He wanted to thank her a million times over but her question was a good one. Did he? Did he know what he was doing? What was he doing? He was trusting Sabo and Vivi and giving them a chance to find a home here like Whitebeard had done for him, for Luffy and countless others. And he was going behind Teach's back but Teach had forced his hand. 

"Yes I do." He muttered softly. 

A gentle, albeit worried smile came across her face. "As long as you do I'll be able to worry a bit less." Robin briefly touched his shoulder in a reassuring manner before turning back to her boxes. 

"Thank you...thank you Robin." Ace said. "I'll see you soon! It's time to get on the road!" He managed a laugh and hurried out, jewelry clinking lightly. He could manage this. Nothing would go seriously wrong.

Sabo:

"There! This is the last of the wagons. And the last of our things." Ace announced, climbing down from the wagon. 

It was dark now, night had finally fallen. All the tents were down leaving the little dirt field as empty as it had been when they arrived. Looking at them, they didn't even look like performers anymore. The only sign that Ace had been dancing earlier was the gold still in his ears and the little makeup that had smeared around his eyes. Sabo also noted that he was still barefoot. 

"It's late, we'll probably not travel far. The young usually sleep in one of the wagons during the first leg of the journey." Ace leaned back against the wagon and crossed his arms. "Are you feeling fatigued Prince Sabo?" He jested lightly. 

Sabo placed the last box of supplies on the wagon and nervously glanced around, making sure no one was nearby to hear what Ace had said. "Not particularly..." He answered truthfully. If anything he was enjoying the teamwork and labor of doing something as a group side by side with others. 

Ace grinned at him, leaning closer towards the blonde. "Good, then you've still got energy to keep up!" The moonlight reflected off his mischievous eyes and the gold jewelry. "We'll be walking on foot for a few hours at least." He laughed and jostled Sabo before turning his gaze to the rest of the circus that moved in shadow.

Sabo felt a contagious energy flowing from Ace that brought a smile to his face. After the few hours of packing he had begun to feel more and more comfortable and less out of place. The thought of traveling somewhere new and unknown was enticing and exciting and he couldn't wait for the journey to start. 

He open his mouth to ask Ace if he knew where they were going but swallowed his words at the sudden look of fear on the Fire Dancer's face.

"Get down!" Ace hissed, shoving Sabo behind the wagon and turning his back to him as if to block him with his body. 

The grass was damp beneath his knees and Sabo crouched underneath the cart. He stared at Ace's feet with confusion. Why was he having to hide?!

"Ace! Is that you?" A loud booming voice called. "Damn this night, if only the moon were a little more full!"

"Uh...yeah." Ace said. "Just finished packing up. We should have a few hours of good moonlight to travel by." His tone was neutral and stiff.

Sabo listened tensely to the voice of whoever was approaching with apprehension. From his place he could only make out a large pair of legs stuffed into a worn pair of boots. It sounded as though the man and Ace should get on well but none of the same energy as before was in Ace's voice. Who was this man and why did he have to hide from him?

The man continued on for a while and Sabo did his best to ignore the cramping in his legs. The conversation was obviously on sided as Ace only spoke when necessary but the man didn't seem to notice or he didn't seem to care. 

Eventually Ace finally interrupted, irritation in his words. "Teach I know. I've been packing up these wagons as long as you have. I know how to prepare the circus for travel and we're ready to get on the road! We need to take advantage of the moonlight while we still have it!" 

The man- Teach- suddenly began to laugh. "You've got a point there Portgas!" He bellowed, and clapped the Fire Dancer on the back. "Listen, before we get on the road..." Teach lowered his voice and Sabo strained his ears to listen. "About this morning-"

"What about it?" Ace snapped, anger in his voice. Sabo watched his feet shuffle almost nervously. 

"I wanted to apologize." Teach said earnestly. "You were right! It was a silly idea." 

Silly? Sabo frowned. It seemed more serious than that to Ace.

"So you're letting it go?" Ace asked skeptically. 

"Yeah of course! I said you were right didn't I?" Teach said and then his feet moved away. "Let's not waste that moonlight!"

The seconds seemed to drag until Sabo no longer heard retreating footsteps. He shifted his weight and crawled out from under the wagon, groaning when his legs ached with the relief of no longer being bent. 

Ace was easy to see in the moonlight and he made his way to him hesitantly. "I'm grateful that you let me stay but..." His blue eyes searched the darkness. "I hope I'm not a problem." He didn't want to be and he wished more than anything that he wasn't because he had no where else to go. 

Beside him Ace arched a bewildered eyebrow before sighing. He shook his head. "No you're not a problem- don't worry about that okay?" He insisted and smiled but the worry stayed in his eyes. "It wasn't about you. It was...about other crap." Ace grumbled, his eyes once again on the circus that was now beginning to move forward.

The conversation Ace and Law had came back to Sabo's mind. Was that related to whatever he and Teach had been talking about? "Don't worry about it?" Sabo asked, looking at the moving wagons. If he didn't need to worry about it then why had he needed to hide?

"Yeah, don't worry about it!" Ace repeated and picked up his slim flats from beneath the wagon and slipped them onto his feet. "Are you ready to get moving?"

It was clear Ace didn't want to discuss his conversation so Sabo decided to drop it. If he wasn't becoming a problem he'd have to believe Ace for now. 

Above the sky gleamed with natural light, shinning over the hustle and bustle as the circus began to leave. Sabo nodded confidently. "Absolutely." He'd been ready for years and he knew that when they finally left the city limits there would be no looking back.


	8. Moonlit Happenings

The Illusionist Dancer Robin:

It was always a good day when the tents came down with no accidents or mishaps. Franky was busy with the heaviest wagons and though she would normally assist him Robin felt the need to speak with Ace again.

She spotted him walking beside a tall fair stranger. Robin inferred that this was the other newcomer Sabo. 

She came to Ace's side quietly, letting him finish his conversation. She was glad to see him laughing. 

Noticing her Ace's paused. "What's up?" He asked softly. 

"I came to see if everything is alright." Her eyes drifted to his companion. "And to introduce myself. I don't believe we've met." She smiled warmly at Sabo. "I'm Robin." 

Like Vivi the newcomer appeared to come from somewhere far away- Law's coat wasn't enough to hide that from her keen eyes- but while she could guess that Vivi came from the desert regions she couldn't quite place the blonde. However she was sure Ace knew or at least had a clear idea. Robin knew he wouldn't let just anyone join their group.

"Sabo." He replied with a handsome smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"Ah right." Ace mumbled. "I forgot to introduce you, sorry about that. A lot has happened today." He glanced at her with nervous eyes. "It's not a big deal, it's just been a wild day."

Robin easily caught that there was something Ace wasn't telling her and was trying to avoid bringing up. She decided to play along for now since Sabo's role in all this was still unclear. "The first traveling day is hectic." She agreed. "Who else have you been able to meet Sabo?" Who else knew he was here?

The man glanced at Ace before responding. "Just a few people." He began. "Luffy and Law...and a musician-" He looked embarrassed. "I forgot his name."

"Apoo. He met Apoo today." Ace supplied the name, speaking a little louder as if to draw the attention back to himself. "And now he's met you too. He spent most of the day in my tent since today was so busy."

"I hope you enjoy it here." Robin said. "Vivi has got on well with Nami and Nojiko. She's been practicing all day, spending most of it in my tent as well."

Beside Ace Sabo was frowning in thought but Ace was quick to speak. 

"I heard you already found an act to put her in. You certainly work fast!" He said and took a breath. "Hey um...about asking you not to tell Teach about our newcomers..."

Robin raised her brows slightly, attentive to whatever Ace was going to say especially since he was saying it in front of Sabo. Obviously Ace had decided to trust him. "Yes?"

Ace lowered his voice. "Teach and I got into this morning- it was pretty bad. He said some things. I lost my tempt with him." He shrugged in the moonlight. "You know..."

Sabo shook his head. "I said I didn't want to cause a problem..."

"No- " Ace sighed. "I already said you haven't caused anything." He looked to Robin. "I didn't tell him about them. I didn't ask for his go ahead and I'd prefer if you let me handle it. It's my mess." He explained.

She found herself nodding while he spoke if only to calm him down a bit. Robin understood an argument, Ace had a temper and unfortunately Teach did as well and this wasn't the first time they had 'gotten into it'. Though it was the first time Ace had gone behind his back about anything. 

"Don't let it become a problem." She advised. "The two of you have a big influence on the rest of us." She and Ace had similar positions, training newcomers and finding a place for them but Ace had been here much longer than herself and- from what she had heard- was like a son to the original Circus Head Whitebeard. A lot of people here looked up to him. 

"I won't." Ace met her eyes. "I swear I'll bring it up to him tomorrow. I just...I needed to cool off before I could talk to him about anything." He shoved his hands into the pockets of the loose pants he wore. 

Robin continued to eye him worriedly. "I trust you to do so. And I know you will." She hoped her confidence would push him to it. She didn't doubt that he was sincere about wanting to take care of it but she was concerned about how he would try. Her overactive imagination could already think of many negative outcomes but this time she didn't voice them. 

The Fire Dancer Ace:

He didn't necessarily like keeping Teach's threats from Robin. Hell she would probably have some good advice but Ace also didn't want to stir something up over some angry words. 

Law had overheard Teach talking to Doc Q shortly after their argument and while Ace was hesitant to believe Teach when he said he had gotten over it, Ace wasn't a hundred percent sure Teach would follow through with his threat. Then again...anything that made Law as worried as he was was concerning. 

Ace didn't realize he had been quiet too long until Sabo cleared his throat. "She seems...nice." 

Looking around Ace found Robin to no longer be at his side. He blinked a few times and tried to clear his head. "She is." Ace finally said, glancing at Sabo. He was nice to look at, this Prince. He had the sort of handsome beauty only Royals ever seemed to have. And his scar only made him more interesting. 

"Do you know where she's-"

"GOT YOU!" A voice screamed as arms wrapped around Ace's torso and arms.

Sabo started beside him and Ace swore loudly with surprise and an underlying bout of fear. "Damn it Luffy!" He shouted, anger replacing both his surprise and fear. As if he wasn't on edge enough already!

"That is for tackling me earlier." Luffy said, coming along side Ace. "Sabo, you should come with me and meet Usopp. He's the one who throws knives." He had a bounce in his step as usual and a smile on his face. Seeing him so content made Ace even more nervous. He had no idea what was going on...

Ace groaned. "No Luffy, he can meet Usopp in the morning when they can actually see each other." He grumbled. "And why would you think it's a good idea to mess around with knives in the dark?" 

Luffy shook his head. "I wasn't going to be the one throwing the knives." He clarified. "Besides you know Usopp is the best."

"I'll be happy to meet him in the morning." Sabo offered with a smile. 

Catching sight of a silhouette ahead of them Ace began to relax. "Luffy isn't there someone else you can go bother?" Luffy needed to stay close just in case Teach did feel like following through and there was no one Ace trusted more than Law. 

His brother frowned. "Yeah I'm going to find Usopp." Luffy crossed his arms as they walked. 

"Well..." Ace said, giving Sabo a sly grin. "Why don't you go annoy Law instead? He never gets tired of listening to you go on and on." He reached over and slung his arm about Luffy.

The Contortionist glared at him. "I don't annoy people and I don't go on and on. And I told Usopp that-"

It was too late. With a laugh Ace propelled him forwards, practically throwing Luffy at Law. "Incoming!" He shouted.

About half a second before Luffy crashed into Law's back the Witch Doctor paused midstep as if he knew what was coming. 

"AAAAAAAAAAACE!" Luffy shrieked, his face smashing against Law's back as he was forced to a halt. 

Law grunted and stumbled before glaring at both Ace and Sabo. "Why?" He muttered darkly.

Ace burst into laughter, shaking is head and waving his hands in surrender. "Sorry Law! He's your problem now!" He declared and turned, grabbing Sabo and pulling him ahead with him. 

It was time he got to know this Prince.

The Witch Doctor Law:

"Luffy." Law warned when the Contortionist still hadn't untangled himself. 

He felt Luffy raise his head but failed to move. "He told me to bother you because you don't get tired of me."

Law's heart skipped a beat. Was he really so transparent? Or was Ace just trying to mess with him? 

"That's one opinion." Law replied, nudging Luffy to let go. He wasn't bothered by Luffy's closeness- at least not anymore- but they had to keep moving. 

Finally Luffy stepped away and walked beside him. "Am I annoying?" He pondered to the stars.

Law found his question to be odd. Usually Luffy didn't care much about the things Ace said when teasing him. He struggled to find the right answer. "I wouldn't use the word annoying. You're excitable and impulsive but..." Law took a breath. "You typically don't annoy me."

"Well I wouldn't want to." Luffy mumbled quietly. staring at the ground now. 

Law raised his brows in the darkness. "And why is that?" He wondered. 

Luffy looked right up at him. "I like being around you so I don't want to annoy you because then you wouldn't like being around me." He shrugged. 

Law took a breath and looked straight ahead. "Don't worry about that." He managed in the darkness. What did Luffy mean by that exactly? Was it as simple as it sounded or-

"Do you know where we're going next?" Luffy asked excitedly.

Law felt the familiar back and forth of his emotions that occurred whenever he was with Luffy. "I think we're skipping the next town and heading South but..." His expression grew bleak. "I don't think Teach has really said where yet."

He felt Luffy's gaze on his face and tried to manage a more neutral expression. 

"Tra? Why was Ace upset today?"

Of course Luffy would have noticed, why wouldn't he? He had the uncanny habit of noticing things while he missed countless others but whatever he noticed was always important. 

He didn't like to lie to Luffy but Ace had made it clear that for now, no one else was going to know what Law had overheard. And Law kept his promises. 

"I'm not sure. He hasn't told me, he's been busy today." He said coolly. 

Luffy narrowed his eyes at him curiously. "But you have an idea right?"

Law hesitated. And Luffy had good instincts. "I have a theory." He admitted. So much for lying, now Luffy wouldn't let it drop.

"Then what is it?" Luffy persisted.

This was not his secret to tell. If Ace had wanted Luffy to know he would have told him and Law knew exactly why Ace hadn't. Luffy was reckless and headstrong and quite possibly worse than Ace which was saying something. 

"I think he and Teach had a disagreement about something earlier. I don't know what they fought about but Ace was pretty worked up over it." That at least was true. 

Luffy was frowning, looking at the ground in thought. "Maybe he's waiting to tell me..." He mumbled. 

"Maybe." Law agreed softly, hoping to talk about anything else right now.

Luffy paused suddenly, his pace slowing. He squinted far ahead as if he could spot their destination already. "I wonder what kind of meat there'll be where we're going..." He muttered, easily distracted. 

Law breathed a sigh of relief. He was lucky, his tent was usually quiet and never so busy that he was exhausted by the end of the night. But Luffy, Ace, Nami and the others with hourly performances? Law couldn't imagine having a full day of activity on top of packing and then having to walk all night long. 

"Getting tired?" He asked, bumping Luffy's shoulder, the slightest of smirks on his lips.

Luffy stumbled but easily caught himself. "No." He said stubbornly, blinking and standing up straighter.

"Luffy." Law murmured with a roll of his eyes, putting a careful hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you're not tired but your legs seem to be. You can take a break- I probably need the exercise." He admitted with a low laugh.

"You're always sparring with Zoro." Luffy mumbled. "And I still want to talk..." He stumbled and pitched forwards, not catching himself this time.

"You can- Luffy!" Law groaned as he caught him mid fall. "I'm not a dancer! Warn me before you throw yourself at the dirt will you?!" He grumbled with irritation as he always did. The first time Luffy decided to collapse Law really had missed him. "I was going to say that you don't have to walk to talk." Law continued, crouching and pulling Luffy onto his back.

Luffy clung to him easily, his limbs mysteriously finding their strength after he'd been picked up. "But it's so easy to fall asleep now." He rested his face against Law's shoulder. "You always smell nice." He added sleepily. 

Luffy's comment made his stomach twist in a strange way. "Really? Your brother likes to say I smell like dead animals." They were probably both right in a way. He often lit incense in his tent along side the necessary specimen he kept in jars.

"Well Ace is wrong." Luffy countered in a weak irritated manner before sighing deeply. 

"That's good to know." He comments, treading softly so as not to shake Luffy too much. He was generally a heavy sleeper anyway...


	9. The Devil Touched

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for all the comments and kudos. I love hearing about your thoughts and theories and seeing that people are enjoying this! It makes my day every time I read a new comment or get kudos. I hope you guys continue to stick around because there's a lot coming! Stay safe out there <3  
> ~ Wonder

Sabo:

The blonde stumbled after Ace, surprise and excitement plain on his face. He was hit with exhilaration as they rushed through the darkness, hardly able to see where Ace was leading them. 

Ahead of him Ace was laughing, pulling them into the nearby trees but kept the wagons in sight. Finally he came to a halt, releasing Sabo's wrist and bracing his hand against a tree while he caught his breath.

Sabo clutched his stomach, inhaling deeply to replace the lost air. It didn't take long for him to dissolve into laughter and grin at Ace. "I haven't ran like that since I was a child!"

Ace leaned against the tree, amusement on his face. "Really? Well you'll have to get used to this if you're going to keep up with me." 

"I'll do my best." Sabo admitted, his face flushed.

Grey eyes studied him closely. "I believe you." Ace said softly. "You'll keep up with me just fine."

Sabo could have said that he already had been keeping up with him over the years. That he'd come every year to see him perform and stayed as long as he could each time. As far as Sabo knew though, Ace didn't seem to know that and he had never noticed him save for the night before.

"What makes you say that?" He asked quietly. 

"I'm not sure really." Ace said after a moment with a nervous laugh. "Gut instinct I guess. You've got a strong enough will to get all the way out here and you haven't turned tail and run from me yet. It's not like I've been the greatest host." He sank to the ground, running a hand through his hair. 

"Why would-" Sabo stopped, trapping the rest of his words in his mouth before he started tripping through his words again. It was odd, at times it was easy and comfortable to talk to Ace and others he could barely form a thought. "I mean...to be fair I was planning on lying to you about why I was here and you could have easily thrown me out for trying." But he hadn't for some reason Sabo was curious about. "I'd say you've treated me better than I deserve."

Ace laughed, shaking his head and resting his chin on his palm, grinning at Sabo. "Fair enough but you know...to be extra fair..." Ace leaned back and gestured towards the caravan that slowly moved past them. "We're all liars and cheats so you fit right in." He paused. "That is if you could tell a believable lie."

Sabo sank into the grass across from him. "Guess I'll just have to learn that too."

"I guess so." The Fire Dancer mused. "Hey Sabo?" He said after a moment of consideration. "What do you know about magic users?"

"You mean the Devil Touched?" Sabo blurted without thinking. His face redden the moment he said it. "I-I mean..." Shit! "I'm sorry, that was what the King and Queen always called them." He said lamely. What a stupid excuse for saying such a cruel thing!

But Ace only laughed. "Don't worry no one in the circus would take offense. We're all freaks and devils." 

Sabo shook his head. "No I shouldn't have said such a thing." He muttered. "And I don't know too much about them." He said. "Isn't Robin a magic user? That's how she can create illusions?"

Ace nodded, the moonlight and leaves casting shadows across his face. "It's not uncommon for magic users to find a home with circus folk and since you're part of ours I figured I could tell you who among us is Devil Touched." He said with a grin. "There's only two with us now. Robin, as you said can create illusions and they can be pretty terrifying if she wants them to be."

"I regret saying it." Sabo rolled his eyes. "To be honest last night was the first time I saw her do it. It was pretty amazing."

"It's remarkable and always helps with the crowds." Ace's steel eyes watched the wagons. "The only other one among us is Law. His abilities are interesting too. He can sense if someone is hurt or sick."

"Sense how?" Sabo asked, interest piqued. Magic users were never really explained to him. At the castle they were considered taboo and seen as strange and dangerous people.

Ace shrugged. "Honestly I don't know. I imagine it's like looking at someone and seeing the color of their hair or their shirt. It's just something your mind tells you."

Sabo frowned in the dark. "You said abilities...can he do more?" 

"He can also heal people, but it takes a lot out of him." Ace turned his eyes back to him. "Think of it as though you're giving your own energy to someone else? At least that's how he explained to the younger more annoying me." He said with a grin. "Oh and he can move stuff around without touching it, not big stuff mostly the small things."

Sabo stared at him with awe. "That's...that's really amazing!" Moving things without touching them?! "Have you ever met anyone else with abilities?"

With a sigh Ace looked up at the sky. "Here and there when we've crossed paths with other groups. Most of them are surprised that we have two with us since it's so rare." Looking at Sabo again he seemed to be searching for something.

Before Sabo could clear his throat and say anything that would most likely become embarrassing Ace continued. 

"For awhile there were three with us." Something flashed across the Fire Dancer's face as he spoke. Something...sad? "An old friend Marco. He taught me everything I needed to know about fire."

With a start Sabo recognized the name. "Wasn't he the Fire Phoenix?"

Ace sat up straighter. surprise on his face. "Did you see perform?"

Sabo nodded. "Years ago." He thought back to the swirling blue and yellow fire. "His flames were beautiful..."

It appeared as though his comment amused Ace to some degree but he made no comment on it. He took a breath. "He died five years ago, shortly after Whitebeard- the original circus head- died of illness." He laughed bitterly to himself. "I had never seen Law so angry with himself...."

He took a moment to process what had been said. Of course Sabo had wondered briefly about the disappearance of Marco but he had never wondered how it could have impacted the circus members. Why would he? He hadn't known any of them but some part of Sabo felt bad that he'd never given it a second thought. 

And for whatever reason Ace was telling him about it. Him, the stuffy Prince with no circus skills who had tried to lie to him. He was beyond surprised and honored to have his trust. After all, the only person Sabo had ever had personal conversations with was Koala.

He considered telling Ace that he was sorry but wouldn't those words sound meaningless coming from someone who knew nothing of it or the people who died? Instead Sabo focused on something else. "Law couldn't heal him?" 

Ace nodded solemnly. "It was like...I don't know, nature? fate? was laughing at us. Here we were with the best healer skilled with both magical and medical knowledge and he could do nothing to save him." The Fire Dancer ran a hand through his dark hair. "On top of watching Whitebeard waste away we watched Law tire himself out to exhaustion until he could barely stay conscious."

"Does he know why he couldn't heal him?"

In the moonlight Ace shifted uncomfortably.

"You don't have to tell me." Sabo said hurriedly. "It's just...I've never heard of such a thing."

The Dancer smiled. "I've told you this much there's no point in stopping now." He shrugged. "Law had never heard of such a thing either. But well...that's life." Ace muttered. "In the end Whitebeard had no regrets and that's all that really matters I guess."

No regrets? That was another thing Sabo hadn't thought too much about. It struck him and he wondered that if he died right now would he have regrets? He considered it for a moment and only one thing came to mind. He wasn't sure if it was a regret exactly but he wanted to see Koala again before he ever died and he wanted to see her happy and free like he was now. 

"Anyway," Ace said, interrupting the heavy silence. "A few weeks later Marco died. It was an accident but I think it had more to do with his grief than anything. He wasn't thinking clearly and as a result..." He blinked and shook his head suddenly. "What the hell, I'm supposed to be getting to know you, not dumping this depressing story on you."

Getting to know him? Sabo felt self conscious. "W-what do you want to know?"

The mischievous grin was back. "How does a palace dwelling Prince end up with a burn scar on his face?" Ace asked, gesturing towards the mark. 

Sabo felt like laughing at himself. Of course he'd be curious about it, Ace lived and breathed fire. And of course his first question would be one difficult to answer. Or at least, a long answer. 

He reached up and touched the scar, the memories from the painful day flitting around his head. "The official story is that there was an accident in the kitchens." He began.

"And the real story?" Ace prompted. 

Sabo lowered his hand. "It's a long one. I have to tell you a story before the story if it's to make any sense."

Without pause Ace rose to his feet. "We'll walk in the tree line so we don't fall behind." He offered Sabo a hand up.

He took it willingly, noticing how much warmer Ace's hand felt compared to his. "Thank you." Sabo said, reluctant to let go once he stood. 

"So?" Ace asked, walking backwards so he could face him.

"So." Sabo said, realizing that he had never spoke about this aloud. Not even with Koala. After they were discharged from the infirmary neither of them had brought it up until Koala told him he didn't need to keep his promise just yesterday.

He cleared his throat, feeling Ace's eyes on him. "This wasn't the first time I had the idea of escaping. The first and only other time was when I was ten years old." Sabo didn't glance at Ace while he spoke. "As far back as I can remember I had always hated everything about my life." He paused. "And I had everything, more than anyone else in the kingdom but-"

"You were never happy?"

Sabo nodded. "The King and Queen regarded me as if I was nothing more than a tool. Something they wanted to control and mold into someone just like them. I didn't have friends, I wasn't allowed to play any sort of games or have any toys." He stopped there, hoping he didn't sound like he was whining. What did this sound like to Ace? Why wou-

"You mean they kept you inside all the time?" Ace asked, incredulous. "You couldn't..." He shook his head. "God that sounds horrible."

Sabo blinked with surprise. "Yeah...for years they did until the Royal Physician told them that if I didn't get some sort of exercise or sunlight I would be sickly and unhealthy my whole life."

"No shit." Ace muttered to himself with disbelief.

Sabo laughed. "Yeah you'd think they would have realized that on their own. I was finally allowed to spend time running around the courtyards and climbing the trees on the grounds a few hours a day." He couldn't help grinning. "It was during one of those time I met a maid in training named Koala."

"Koala?" Ace fell in step beside him now.

He nodded. "Of course I had no idea she was learning to be a maid at the time because she marched right up to me and told me we were going to fight because she wanted to be a guard."

"I take it she didn't know who you were?" Ace guessed, smiling.

Sabo nodded. "She had only been at the palace for a few months and had no idea who I was. I was so confused when she told me that I just stared at her until she punched me right in the face."

Ace burst out with a laugh. "She punched you in the face?! I'm guessing she kicked your ass?"

"Absolutely." Sabo said, smiling at the memory. "Knocked out my front tooth but it was the most fun I had ever had. From that day on she would find me during my outdoor hours and we would spend the time rolling around in the dirt or running rampant through the halls."

The memories were as vibrant as the days they had made them. Sabo had often recalled them over the years whenever he felt especially depressed or when Koala wasn't around to make him laugh and feel happy.

"We were friends instantly and always dreaded when we had to be apart." Sabo frowned. "The King and Queen didn't like it but they allowed it because the Physician said it was good for me." 

Beside him Ace scoffed with disgust.

"Life was better with a friend but my time with studies and lessons doubled now that I was 'wasting precious time outside'." Sabo sighed. "I was suffocating so I decided to run away."

Sabo glanced at Ace, seriousness in his blue eyes. "I didn't tell Koala because I didn't want her to get in trouble for helping me...." His thoughts strayed once again to the Koala of the present. She was okay wasn't she? "I knew of an passage in the guard training grounds that would lead directly to the city so I made that my goal. I gathered some supplies, snuck out of my room and made it to the guard house."

He could still remember the route he had taken, ducking behind tapestries and suits of armor along the way. He had had no idea just what was at stake at the time...

"You alright?" Ace asked, watching him closely. 

"Yeah." Sabo shook his head. "I've never talked about this before is all."

The Fire Dancer raised his hands. "You don't-"

"It's fine." He said quickly. "I've told you this much right?" Sabo asked, quoting Ace.

He laughed. "Alright then."

"I made it to the guard house. That day they had training going on, they were practicing the use of flaming arrows." Sabo reached for his scar again. "One of the guards shot too far and hit the guard house. Before I knew it I was trapped, surrounded by fire and smoke and had no way out. Of course I started screaming, terrified by what was going on and when the ceiling collapsed it felt like my entire body was on fire." He cleared his throat, pushing away the memory of the pain. "Someone must have heard me because the next thing I knew I was waking up in the infirmary with the King and Queen at the foot of my bed."

"No wonder you couldn't catch the torch I tossed you." Ace teased and Sabo was thankful he was making a joke. Sabo didn't care about what had happened to himself. The worst part was next.

"I honestly have no idea why I thought it was a good idea to say Fire Dancer." He admitted.

"I don't know...." Ace said slyly. "You had a bad introduction to fire, I may make a Fire Dancer out of you yet."

Sabo widened his eyes, pushing that nerve wracking thought aside for now. "When I woke up the King and Queen were beyond livid." He said, continuing. "The guards had found what was left of my supplies and of course I had no business being on that side of the castle. It wasn't difficult to figure out I had been trying to run. They promised there would be punishment but I didn't care, what could be worse than living trapped in the castle?" 

It had been years ago but his anger hadn't faded. Even now he felt it pushing against him, hot and furious. Sabo made a fist. "I didn't understand until they brought her to the Physician. Instead of doing something to me they had..." He felt his anger creep into his voice. "They had Koala beaten. A child. Someone who in no way deserved to be treated like that. She had nothing to with it except that she was someone I cared about. My only friend and they-"

He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Sabo." Ace said, looking at him with surprise and an anger of his own.

Sabo froze realizing he had nearly been yelling the last part, his anger getting the best of him. He felt his face redden and he lowered his voice. "I-" He fought to clear his head. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Ace told him, removing his hand hesitantly. "Like you said, this is your first time talking about it."

He rubbed his face. "I know it's just..." Sabo exhaled. "She would say I'm being ridiculous right now."

"She's still at the palace?" The Dancer asked with surprise.

"Unfortunately." Sabo grumbled, starting to walk again. "After what happened to her I swore that I would never try to escape again if she was going to be in danger. I even tried to not be her friend to protect her but she wouldn't have any of it. But despite that she helped me get here. Koala is staying to cover for me until she can get away and meet up with me." He felt his anger fading away, his shoulders slumping. "I've been worried all day."

"I'm sure she's smart enough to get out safely." Ace said confidently. "And when were you going to tell me we were going to have another newcomer?"

Sabo blinked, the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. "Oh uh...I didn't think about it..."

Ace was laughing again, and Sabo was glad he got to see such a beautiful sight. "I'm not surprised. That reminds me...who exactly is Vivi? You two came here together didn't you?"

Sabo only paused for the briefest of moments before answering.


	10. On The Road: Late Breakfast

Vivi:

She woke with a smile on her face beneath a bright open sky and couldn't remember ever sleeping so soundly before. After hours of walking through the night the caravan had stopped just before day break and she had fallen asleep under the stars sandwiched between Robin and Nami. 

She sat up, the borrowed blankets slipping away from her. There were people up already, tending to the wagons or gathering for breakfast. She spotted Robin in the distance with a large man who had bright blue hair almost like hers. She spotted Sanji at the nearest fire who appeared to be cooking something that smelled amazing.

Beside her Nami was still sleeping and Vivi took the moment to study her. Her skin was paler than her own but dotted with light freckles. Her short orange hair was splayed around her head in a way that was probably considered messy but Vivi found it to be more pretty than anything else. She was just considering joining Sanji at the fire when someone spoke.

"It's rude to stare you know." Golden brown eyes suddenly opened, looking right at Vivi. "Especially in the morning." Nami added, sitting up with a smile.

Vivi laughed nervously, clearly caught. "I'm sorry I didn't really mean to." How on earth had she known?!

"Don't worry about it." Nami said with a wink. "I'd probably do the same. Come on," She rose to her feet and stretched. "Let's go join Sanji."

Vivi anxiously came to her feet wondering what exactly Nami had meant. She'd probably do the same? She felt like asking but instead followed after the Escape Artist, caught too off guard to form a question.

The Contortionist Luffy:

He trailed his way towards Sanji's fire, hunger driving his every step forward. Ace had told him to go straight there and stay there until he joined him. Luffy didn't really understand why his brother bothered saying any of it. It's what he always did in the morning, everyone knew Sanji's food was best and he looked forward to it every day. 

He frowned on his way there thinking about what Law had told him about Ace and Teach. Ace still hadn't said anything to him about it which meant it must have been something serious. Luffy grumbled to himself, letting his nose lead him through the wagons and people. He was tired of waiting, he would ask Ace about it all today.

"What's wrong with you?" Sanji asked past a cigarette. 

Looking around he realized he had made it to his destination. Distracted by the promise of food Luffy didn't say anything until he took the plate Sanji already had waiting for him and started eating. "It's Ace." He said, deciding not to say too much for now. 

Sanji rolled his eyes, preparing another plate. "That's not surprising."

"Good morning Luffy." Vivi said, from the opposite side of the fire.

Nami sat beside her and grinned at him. "Hey Lu."

With his mouth too full of food Luffy waved to the both of them, his mood lightening now that he was with his friends and had food. 

"Luffy!" Usopp came running up, waving his arms. "Where did you go last night? I thought we were going to practice!" He collapsed on the ground beside the Contortionist. "I waited all night."

Luffy gulped down his current mouthful of food. "I was going to but I ran into Torao."

Usopp sighed. "Well you could have told me!" He glanced at Sanji by the fire. "Hey where's my breakfast?"

"Come get it yourself." Sanji told him, not looking up from the food. 

"Fine." Usopp grumbled and made his way over to the next waiting plate. On his way back he glanced at the girls. "Oh hey Nami. Who's this?" 

Luffy sprang to his feet, hoping for seconds. "Oh that's Vivi." He said before any of the others could. "She's new and dancing with Robin."

Vivi gave a small wave. "It's nice to meet you. You're the knife thrower aren't you?"

Usopp nodded proudly. "The best with a blade, bow or slingshot!" He announced. 

"Zoro has you beat with a blade." Nami said ruthlessly. 

"I said blade not sword!" Usopp countered.

"What's the difference?" Nami asked, the two of them falling into a back and forth argument.

Luffy wandered back up to Sanji who shook his head. "No seconds until everyone has eaten once."

"But I'm still hungry." Luffy told him, eyeing the extra food. "Zoro and Ace don't need food."

"The hell they don't!" The blonde snapped. "Wait for everyone to eat!"

"I won't have you stealing my share baby brother." Ace said, joining their group around the fire. "Smells delicious! As usual."

Zoro joined them shortly after Ace, saying very little to anyone. 

While he waited for seconds Luffy sat with Ace. "Where's Sabo?"

Ace pointed towards a nearby sleeping figure. "I think he was a lot more tired than he was saying so I decided to let him sleep in for a bit." He took a large bit of food. "Where's Law?" He asked past the food.

Luffy managed to look away from the plate of food, picking up on a hint of worry in his brothers voice. "He ate with Nojiko, Robin and Franky earlier. I was too tired."

"What reason did you have to be tired?!" Ace asked incredulously. "I saw you draped over his shoulders last night."

Luffy narrowed his eyes, he wasn't about to admit that Ace had a point. Or that he slept best whenever Torao carried him. "Because I was extra tired." He said.

Ace scoffed. "Uh huh, right. Well come on let's wake up Sabo before either of us tries to eat his share of breakfast."

Sabo:

Sabo jerked away suddenly, blinking his bright eyes. "What's-" He jumped again, staring at Vivi and Ace who stood above him. "-going on?"

"Someone's tired from walking all night!" Ace said, crouching beside him. "Up and at 'em!"

"We already had breakfast!" Luffy declared, throwing his arms around Ace's neck. "Sanji made us save you some."

Ace braced himself and rose easily, Luffy dangling from him like some strange cape. "Come have some breakfast, everyone else has been up for hours!" 

Sabo sat up, surprised to be surrounded by so many people. Ace was making his way towards a fire, swinging Luffy back and forth. 

"You look tired." Vivi said with a laugh. "You must be a heavy sleeper. They're not the most quiet bunch." She stood and offered Sabo her hand. He noticed that she was wearing borrowed trousers and a shirt much to large for her.

He eyed her unexpectedly. It had only been a day but already she looked very different than either of the times they'd met. She was actually smiling at him and seemed unbothered by his presence. Vivi was also fitting in very well, something he felt like he had been falling short of despite Ace's trust. 

He blinked once more in the light and accepted her hand as she pulled him to his feet. "Hours?" He glanced at the people milling about. "You could have woken me sooner." Sabo said with disappointment.

Vivi shook her head. "We figured you needed the sleep or you would have woken to Ace and Luffy trying to strangle each other." She joked, brushing dirt off of Sabo's shoulders. With a careful glance around she leaned in, lowering her voice. "How have you been adjusting? I've gotten some funny looks but I don't think anyone suspects who I really am." The former Princess grinned proudly. 

Sabo felt his heart sink and he looked away nervously. "Um...alright. I think Ace is going to help me dance too or...something." Would that happen today? "About no one knowing...." He glanced at Ace as he swung Luffy. "I might have mentioned it to someone...sort of..." He waited for Vivi to explode like she had the night they met.

Her hand clenched around his arm tightly, her smile gone. "You what? Who did you tell?!" Vivi demanded, brows pinched with worry and panic as she glanced around suspiciously. 

"It's not like I didn't try to come up with a story or anything!" Sabo grimaced. He didn't know how to explain it correctly. "It just...happened. Only Ace knows and he let both of us stay and hasn't told anyone else."

"How does that 'just happen'?!" Vivi groaned, running a hand down her face and squinted at Ace. "What makes you think he won't tell anyone?" 

Sabo glanced at Ace who was now approaching with a plate of food. Now wasn't a good time to talk about this! "I just...do." He hated how stupid that sounded but it was all he had. "Look, he's already helped us out."

"You just do." Vivi echoed with a groan. "We can talk about this later- don't tell anyone else!" She insisted in hushed tones. 

"I won't!" Sabo promised, matching Vivi's tone and stood up straighter as Ace and a blonde stranger approached. They were too close for either of them to whisper anymore. "What's for breakfast?" He offered, hardly paying attention to the plate of food.

"Only the best." Ace said, handing him the plate. "This is Sanji he's one of our food vendors, cook and wants his own act on top of all that he does already."

Sanji nodded briefly at him before turning to Vivi. "Did you enjoy your breakfast Vivi?"

Sabo stared at the food that suddenly appeared before him and that suddenly smelled so good. He hadn't really eat anything since the morning before.... His stomach grumbled and Sabo had to stop himself from digging in like a mad starving person. 

Vivi was laughing again. "I did very much. Thank you sir cook." She teased, grinning when Ace burst into laughter at her comment.

"Sir cook!" Ace threw his arm around Sanji. "Oh sir cook I knight thee!" He exclaimed, bowing to Sanji mockingly as he laughed. 

Sanji clenched his teeth and glared at him. "Keep laughing and you won't like your next meal." He muttered. 

"Don't be like that! You wouldn't let me starve would you?" Ace continued. "Or are you going to poison me?" He said with a grin but it vanished a moment after he spoke as if the idea truly unsettled him.

"You'll just have to find out." Sanji replied and directed his focus to Sabo. "Everyone has eaten so go ahead. I grab you some cutler-"

Sabo didn't wait for him to finish and picked up the sausage from the plate. He'd rather forgo his table manners then wait a few more seconds to be given a fork and knife. The ache in his stomach was impossible to ignore now that he had focused on it. "Thank you!" He mumbled past his mouthful of food.

He felt the others watch him scarf down the food and Ace and Vivi were laughing again. 

"I think he likes your cooking!" Ace declared.

"Oh lord you're something!" Vivi said, struggling to catch her breath. "Don't choke!"

"Would it hurt anyone to use a utensil around here?" Sanji sighed, watching him eat with his hands. 

Sabo paused, looking at the three observers apologetically. Although Ace didn't look bothered and Vivi was more amused than anything. "Sorry...I haven't eat in awhile."

"No one's judging you!" Ace said. "You just reminded me of...well of me!"

"You boys have fun eating with your hands!" Vivi said with another laugh and waved as she stepped away. Before she completely turned she sent Sabo one last warning look before heading off with Nami. 

"Another Ace at the dinner table." Sanji shoved his hands in his pockets and wandered back to the fire.

Sabo was glad Ace wasn't fazed at least. He was making a wonderful first impression wasn't he? "At least I was entertaining." He said. "Though I don't think the cook was very amused." 

"Oh he's never amused. I think he needs to relax. He doesn't like to tease or prank or flirt!" Ace said, shaking his head. "Or at least, he only likes to flirt with the girls. And he's an atrociously bad flirt with the girls." He said added. "Nami and I like to give him hell for it sometimes. He's easily flustered."

With a now empty plate Sabo studied the other blonde with a little bit of sympathy. If Ace started flirting with him he'd be easily flustered too. 

"Come on." Ace said, rising to his feet. "It's time you start practicing while we have some time."

Nervous, he scrambled to his feet, leaving the plate with others. "What are we starting with?"

"Dancing of course." Ace told him. "I'm going to make you into a fire dancer remember?"

The Sword Swallower Zoro:

"Aren't you bored?" Zoro asked, flexing his arm against Luffy's weight. With a grunt he pushed himself up into the push up position, both of their weight supported by one arm. While Zoro was hoping to get stronger the Contortionist was practicing his balance, standing on his hands on Zoro's back. 

Luffy teetered a bit and shifted his hands as Zoro sank and rose. "This isn't boring!" He answered, staring at the upside down world around them. "It will make us both better at performing." 

Zoro completed another push up before replying. "You've got a point there." He huffed, hyper aware of the sun beating on his bare back, Luffy's warm hands and the light weight balanced carefully on his shoulders. "You alright?" He asked. It was one question but it held a few. Was he balanced well? Did Luffy need him to stop for a moment? Was he dizzy yet from being upside down? 

But Zoro wasn't that talkative and figured the one would do.

"I'm fine." Luffy answered confidently. "Are you okay?" Zoro felt him raise one of his hands for a few seconds, testing his balance. "If I'm not heavy enough I can go get Usopp." He replaced his hand as Zoro lowered himself again. 

"I'm good too." He said. "And maybe in a bit. This is a good warm up for now." 

"Hey!" Luffy exclaimed. "I can get Sanji too and we can all stand on you while you do push ups!" He carefully rocked himself forwards and planted his feet on the ground in front of Zoro. Luffy let his body rise into a regular standing position before bending back down to look at Zoro's face. "Should I get him too?"

Zoro let out a deep breath with the sudden relief of pressure and came to a sitting position, rolling his shoulders. Three definitely weighed more than one. It would a hell of a trick to lift them all at once and a hell of a game to get that fidgety cook to stand still long enough. "Sure. Grab them both." He decided. 

Luffy grinned and bounded off to get the others. When he returned he dragged a loud complaining Usopp by the arm while Sanji trailed farther behind. "Got them." He announced. 

"In record time too." Zoro commented, nodding and cracking his neck. "Did you bother to tell them what we're doing?" He asked with the barest hint of a smile and wiped away some sweat.

Sanji groaned. "Luffy you told me you needed help with something, not that he did." He gestured to Zoro irritably. 

Usopp wrenched his arm free of Luffy's hand. "At least you walked here yourself!" He messaged his wrist. "I was dragged..."

"I don't need anyone's help. I'm challenging myself to see how much I can hold on one hand." Zoro explained, glaring at the cook. "If you have better things to do I could ask someone else." He said nonchalantly. He didn't think Sanji would back down. It was part of the game they played, insulting each other and trying to convince the other that they were better. 

Luffy laughed at them. "We're going to stand on him while he does push ups." He reached down and patted Zoro's shoulder.

Sanji was busy glaring. "You're just trying to show off." He snapped, crossing his arms. "I could name a hundred things I could be doing that are better than this."

Unfazed Zoro stretched out his arms, preparing them for weight again. 

"I couldn't name more than two." Luffy said and followed Zoro's decision to stretch. He bent down and practically bent himself completely in half.

"Well then go do your important things. I'll find someone with better balance to be part of my challenge." Zoro said with a shrug and arched a brow at Luffy. "And eyebrows over there calls me a show off." He teased, sitting on his knees. 

Luffy straightened and looked at Zoro. "What's wrong with my balance?" He raised one leg above his head while standing straight on the other. "My balance is fine!"

"Eyebrows?" Sanji grit his teeth and cursed, ignoring Luffy. "It's showing off. It's unnecessary. You don't need to be that strong."

"I was insulting his balance, not yours Luffy." Zoro explained and shot Sanji a glare. "I'm in an act that requires that I lift several people at once. I think I need to be as strong as my body can handle since I've got something heavier than a popcorn cart to carry around the tents." He snapped back, finally a little ruffled by Sanji's jabs. 

Usopp glanced up from his wrist, looking between Zoro and Sanji warily. 

Sanji stormed closer to the two. "I can carry more than that and you know it!" He glowered. 

"Then quite bitching about how much I can lift!" Zoro growled and braced himself on his arms. "Now are you in or are you chickening out?" He asked, balancing himself.

There was a moment of silence and then he felt Sanji dig his heels into his back. "What do you think?" 

From the corner of his eye he saw Luffy plop onto the grass, and wait. "Usopp ran away so it's just me and Sanji now." He announced. 

Zoro grunted in irritation at Sanji's foot on his spine but for now he was balancing just fine. "That's alright." He told Luffy and lifted one of his arms and rested it against his back by Sanji's feet. 

"Can I get on now?" Luffy asked once Zoro settled. 

Sanji scoffed. "I don't know, can you handle it?" He hissed, leaning down towards Zoro.

"Of course I can handle it." Zoro grumbled back. "Hop on Luffy." 

Luffy vanished and Zoro felt his feet join Sanji's and then they disappeared though the weight didn't. "How's this?"

He felt the cook wobble. "Luffy!" Sanji exclaimed, shifting his feet. "A little warning next time you plan on climbing onto my back please!"

Zoro waited for the two to balance themselves, glad to feel a small strain in his arm. "Are you ready?" 

"I am!" He heard Luffy shout.

"Don't wait for us, by all means." Sanji said sarcastically. 

"Well I wouldn't want you to fall." Zoro replied bluntly and carefully lowered himself and started the push ups. His comment wasn't meant as a jab but he didn't bother trying to make that clear to either of them. Instead he focused on controlled movements, shocked with the ease at which he moved considering the weight he was supporting. 

"A thousand push ups Zoro." Luffy ordered from above, his voice heavy with seriousness. 

"I doubt he'll be doing a thousand Luffy." Sanji replied. 

That was all he needed to hear. "You don't think so?" Zoro asked, lowering them down and up again. "Guess I'll just add that to my challenge."

He heard another scoff and Sanji mutter quietly. "Why the hell am I here?"

Zoro honestly wondered the same thing. Sure he had tried to goad the cook into sticking around but why he really bothered to was beyond him. 

"Because we want to help our friend." Luffy told him and Zoro figured that was a good enough explanation for now.


	11. On the Road: Dancing Lessons

The Escape Artist Nami:

"What was it like to perform for the first time?" Nami asked, glancing at the mysterious blue haired woman. Ever since Vivi had walked into her tent Nami had been curious about her. She had an air of elegance and a strong spirit. She looked as though she was from somewhere far away and should have been spending her life in some magnificent place. Instead, Vivi was here, side by side with her while they finished packing away the night's supplies. 

She watched Vivi jump ever so slightly like she always did when Nami addressed her. Vivi pushed the vibrant hair away from her face before answering. "Nerve wracking but exciting at the same time. It's amazing that you and your sister do it consistently with such skill."

There she was, complementing her again. It was odd to hear coming from someone Nami hardly knew because it was clear that Vivi was sincere and expected nothing in return. The few times Nami had complemented her she had practically brushed them off politely as if she didn't deserve it. 

"It comes with practice." Nami said simply. "We weren't always so calm before a crowd. Was that what made you nervous?"

A glimpse of surprise crossed Vivi's face and she shook her head. "No it wasn't the crowd at all. I'm...rather used to being in front of people." She admitted lightly. 

There was that too. The way Vivi would say something about herself seemed as if she was editing it before saying anything out loud. Nami wondered what exactly she was running from that made her life details important enough to keep secret. 

"It was mostly the dancing itself." Vivi told her, tossing a roll of blankets into the cart they were loading. "And the fact that Robin was there beside me. She's very talented- and her magic!" Her violet eyes grew wide. "It's probably one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen!"

Nami couldn't help smiling at her enthusiasm. "Robin wouldn't let just anyone take the stage with her." She encouraged. "And her magic is beautiful, though she can make some pretty terrifying illusions if she wants to."

"Really?" Vivi asked, turning her awestruck eyes to Nami. "I'd like to see that sometime!"

Nami laughed, surprised by her reaction. "Really? They can give even the bravest nightmares."

Vivi didn't seem to care. She nodded vigorously. "I've never seen anything like that, scary or not it would be exciting!"

"You're very...different than most people I've met." Nami said, unable to hold the thought back anymore. "It makes you very intriguing." 

Vivi froze for half a second. "Oh um...I hope that's a good thing." It sounded as though she was saying it to herself more than anything. 

"It's not a bad thing." Nami assured. "Though it has made me wonder where you've come from. I very much doubt that you're from Goa."

"I'm from..." Vivi paused for what Nami guessed was to take a moment to edit again. "...the South."

The South was a broad region and Nami frowned, recalling what the nearest Southern settlement was. "You're from Dressrosa?" She supposed that made sense. Nami herself had never been but it was notorious for being an exciting and happy country and Vivi was both of those things. 

But Vivi widened her eyes in shock. "Dressrosa?" She shook her head. "No of course not- I-" Vivi blinked a few times. "I'm from farther South, the desert areas."

"Oh." Nami frowned. What was with her reaction? "I'm sorry if I offended you with my assumption. Do you...not like Dressrosa?"

"Um...not necessarily." She said nervously. "My father was never fond of it, at least not since the government there..." Vivi trailed off as if deep in thought. "Anyways, you didn't offend me, you just caught me a bit off guard." She said, giving Nami a dazzling smile. 

This answer surprised Nami even more. "It sounds like you know a bit about politics." 

Vivi shook her head. "No but my father did. I had no real interest in it."

Nami couldn't help wondering why a man in the desert regions would be concerned about a country over a thousand miles away from where he lived but she didn't press any farther. It was clear that Vivi had said all that she would on the subject and Nami didn't want to pry too much. Not everyone here liked to talk about their past. Robin and Law for instance hardly said a word about where they came from before the circus. 

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." Nami said, throwing the last of the blankets in the cart.

"That's alright. You didn't really." Vivi told her, the nervous tension fading from her voice. "I don't blame you I did sort of appear out of nowhere."

"If you want I can give you some tips when it comes to performing?" Nami offered, happy to let the subject change now. 

"Oh I would love that! Thank you so much." Vivi beamed, her excitement back as if it had never left. 

The Fire Dancer Ace:

"You know the point of this is for you to be dancing right?" Ace said, pausing mid turn to glance at Sabo. He'd been running through his more simple dances, shoes abandoned in the grass while he moved through the small clearing. 

He wasn't uncomfortable with Sabo watching, he was never uncomfortable with people watching him dance but he couldn't help but wonder if Sabo was bored or picking up on the techniques. 

The blonde looked up at Ace from his spot on the grass. "I wasn't really sure where to start."

"That's on me." Ace admitted. "I think I got ahead of myself here." He made his way over to Sabo and held out his hands. "I'll teach you the steps, come on."

Sabo stared at his hands for a moment before hesitantly taking them. "I don't know how good I'll be."

"Everyone starts somewhere. Besides no one's watching but us." He reminded him, using his weight to pull Sabo to his feet. "Have you ever danced?" Ace figured that he must have, being a Prince, but he wasn't quite sure how to translate that style into his.

"I've been dancing since I could walk." Sabo answered, still hesitant. "But it's not like what you do." He stood up straight, fixing his posture. "All ballroom dancing and stuff like that." Sabo spoke of it arbitrarily.

It was interesting to Ace. He had no experience with ballroom dancing and Sabo had no experience with the style Ace performed. "Will you teach me a bit?" He needed to know what Sabo already knew and understood about movement. "That way I'll know where to start." And Ace was a fast learner. 

"Show you?" Sabo's voice was thick with nervousness again. Something that happened every time Ace got close to him. The Prince cleared his throat, thinking for a moment and then adjusted their hands. "I've only ever danced like this."

Ace stepped even closer with Sabo's direction, letting him rest a hand on his waist. "And I assume you're usually the one to lead?" Here in the sunlight Ace felt like he was getting a closer look at Sabo. His eyes were wide and bright and full of energy. 

He was definitely handsome. 

Sabo took a deep breath, looking back at Ace and he wondered what Sabo thought about him. He'd have to be blind not to know that he seemed to find Ace attractive but the Dancer was more curious about his thoughts. It was fun to tease him and maybe even flirt but this close Ace had a hard time thinking of anything. 

With a light laugh Sabo nodded. "Yes usually." He placed light pressure on Ace's waist and hand creating an unspoken way of communication. The blonde lead them in a slow dance to music unheard. "Have you ever danced with someone?" He asked, blue eyes flicking around the clearing. 

Ace stepped with Sabo, almost perfectly in time with only the briefest of glances at their feet. "Yeah actually but not like this. Not since I was very young. I don't remember the last time I danced with just one person." He said, steadily watching Sabo. "That probably doesn't make sense. Sometimes we all dance, together. As friends...as family. It's different from this." Was he rambling? He was pretty sure he was rambling but why? He wasn't nervous was he?

"Together?" Curiosity replaced the nervousness in Sabo's voice. "How does that work?"

"Oh it's very unorganized." Ace said with a laugh. "Sometimes it happens at night when we stop to make a fire. It spreads- well...it spreads like a spark to dry wood." He explained, trying to put the feeling into words. "Usually it starts with someone playing music and that will catch someone's ear." Ace didn't bother admitting that it was often his ear. "And that someone or a few someone's will start to dance and drag others in and the music gets louder and-" He shook his head. "You'll have to experience it to know. I don't know if it makes much sense."

With a thoughtful frown Sabo looked back at Ace. "It makes sense I think." He changed his footing slightly, falling into a rhythm and step slightly more complex. "I know a few variations of this and some turns."

"It's easier than I expected it to be." Ace announced, glad he hadn't made a fool of himself. He focused on the steps and footwork they were doing, gathering ideas of where to start Sabo. 

The blonde was grinning, and sped up their pace. "It seems like you're a natural. You're by far the most interesting person I've danced with."

"Really? You must have had some boring partners then." Ace said with a teasing smirk, following the new tempo perfectly.

Sabo's face was red again. "You have no idea. They were always talking about themselves or gossiping about someone else. Eventually I learned to ignore them and respond when needed." He smiled sadly. "I tried to teach Koala how to dance once and she spent the time stomping on my feet. She said that she took enough steps in a day to have danced a hundred dances without having to learn anything."

"She sounds like a fun person." Ace told him, once again wondering more about Sabo's life in the castle. "Were all your other dance partners really so dull?" He could hardly picture dancing being boring or anyone being bored while dancing. 

"Unfortunately yes." Sabo said. "Dancing is done less for enjoyment and more for attempts of climbing the social ladder or meeting someone to marry." He frowned. "Although I had never danced with Vivi before..."

"Well I'm a strong believer in having fun while you dance." Ace stepped back, breaking their dance and holds on each other. "And I think I know where to start you now." He stretched his arms above his head, trying to squash the butterflies that had found a home in his stomach. 

What the hell was he so nervous about?

The Palace Maid Koala:

Koala walked down the hall with her head down. There had been so much hustle and bustle over Prince Sabo and Princess Vivi's disappearances that the last thing she wanted was to draw attention to herself. 

Her plan had gone smoothly and no one suspected that she knew anything about it but who would've thought the Princess would vanish too? Koala had thought there was something odd about her when she led the Princess to her quarters. She seemed so headstrong and Koala couldn't help wondering if she had run away too. 

The general consensus was that they had been kidnapped but no one could determine who was responsible. 

"We'll have a reward posted, but I want an active effort made to find them!" 

Koala paused just outside the Royal Conference room, recognizing the King's voice. 

"Who knows what King Cobra will do when he finds out his daughter has disappeared after staying one night in our castle!" The sound of a chair being pushed back made it's way through the cracked door. "Send out your best soldiers General. I want those two back now."

Soldiers? Koala stared at the towels in her hands. She doubted Sabo was far enough away yet! At this rate he would be found and then who knew what would happen to the circus folk! 

She hurried on past the door, her feet guiding her back to the servants quarters. If she was going to warn him in time she'd have to leave now and-

"Koala." 

She froze, clutching the towels in her hands. "Hack." She said, turning around to greet the General with a smile. 

His face was grave. "Koala I can't believe that you don't know something about this. Despite how the two of you have fooled the King and Queen I know you have always remained friends." There was vivid concern on his face and he placed his hands on her shoulders. "I've not been blind to that boys feelings about being the next King but imagine what would happen if someone found out who he was? He's in danger out there."

Koala was holding her breath. She didn't like lying to Hack after all he had done for her. Without him she would've died on the streets as a child but she couldn't betray Sabo. "Hack. What do you consider to be more dangerous?" She began slowly. "The possibility of someone recognizing you and harming you or living a life without happiness, unable to be yourself that you hate so much that sometimes you can hardly breathe?" She blinked past angry tears that began to gather in her eyes. "I don't know where Sabo is but if I did I would never tell a soul because I would rather see him live dangerously out in the world than see him die here, killed by either time or his own hand."

"Koala-"

She stepped away from him, the towels nothing more than wrinkles in her hands. "Hack. I don't know because if I did I would be there too." Koala didn't bother looking at him and she turned away, rushing down the hall. She had so little time she couldn't afford to be stopped by anyone else. She had to warn him before something terrible happened. 

Koala would never let him get trapped here again.


	12. One the Road: A Tale From Brook the Skeleton

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I'm sorry for the long wait. Work opened back up for me and I had some family things to take care of so it took me a bit to get settled again. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I want to thank you for your interest and comments for this story. Happy reading!

The Contortionist Luffy:

The light of their second day on the road had long faded and Luffy found himself pondering in front of a small fire. 

He had confronted Ace the night before about his argument with Teach and had been unable to get his brothers answer out of his head.

'You know how the two of us can be Lu. We made up so don't worry about it.'

Luffy probably would have believed him if it hadn't been for Ace's eyes. They were hard and dark and reflected nothing of the light tone in his voice.

The flames before him popped suddenly but Luffy didn't flinch. He was too worried to flinch. What concerned him wasn't that he thought Ace lied. His concern was for the reason why Ace lied to him at all.

"Luffy, everyone's been looking for you." Law's voice came from behind him.

He blinked and turned, his eyes zeroing in on the yellow ones above him. "Why would Ace lie to me?"

The Witch Doctor almost seemed to flinch, and Luffy noticed his shoulders tense. With a sigh he sat on the ground next to him.

"Don't you lie to him sometimes?" He prompted.

"Not about important things." Luffy said easily. He studied his companion closely, looking for anything that could give him more information. Law was frowning but Luffy noticed that it wasn't his usual frown. This one meant he was thinking.

"Luffy," He said carefully. "Why haven't you asked Ace this question?"

"Because he might have a good reason."

His reply eased some of the tension in Law's shoulders and Luffy felt disappointment. That meant that he was most likely right and that he shouldn't ask Ace about it and yet it felt nearly impossible to not bug his brother until he finally knew what was going on. 

With realization the Contortionist spoke again. "You know what's going on don't you?" Even though it was a question, Luffy knew he was right. 

Law's eyes narrowed and his frown deepened. "Luffy-"

"But Ace made you promise not to tell anyone." He interrupted with confidence. Luffy sighed and stood up, kicking some dirt into the remaining flames. They sputtered and died with a puff of smoke. "It's important to keep your promises..." He muttered. He knew that Law would and that it was a good thing he did too. 

Yet a part of him ached with disappointment.

The Sword Swallower Zoro:

He was late to the gathering because he started training three times a day instead of two. His second session of the day had been with Law. The two of them spent the time darting back and forth, their swords ringing out each time they clashed. It had been good sparring practice but afterwards Zoro felt that there was still much more he could do to improve so he spent his third session of the day training a bit longer than intended. 

The sky was dark now, as was their encampment. Zoro wandered through the shadows feeling slightly irritated that the group had changed the location of the campfire without telling him because he could in no way find it. 

He cursed aloud as his boot smacked into something metal and hard. Probably a stake to a tent someone left lying around. He was just considering not showing up and going to sleep when someone called his name.

"Zoro? There you are!" Nami came jogging up to him in the darkness. 

He squinted, trying to could see her more clearly. "I'm right where everyone said they would be." He grumbled.

Nami laughed and hooked her arm through his. "Uh huh. Come on I'll lead the way."

He was always startled when she did this but not because of the action itself. Compared to his, her arm was so small and felt fragile -though he knew it wasn't. He'd been on the receiving end of more than a few of her punches and Nami had always been to quick to defend herself if ever needed. But even having that knowledge never kept her from seeming so small. 

"So why aren't you there already?" He asked, letting her turn him in what he swore was the wrong direction. "You never miss nights like this."

"I'm not missing it, I'm going there now." She countered. "But since you asked, I was going over some dancing techniques with Vivi for-"

Zoro grinned in the dark. "Oh, so you were busy showing off."

"Hey!" She elbowed him but he heard the amusement in her voice. "Fine. I'll admit that I was showing off if you admit you were showing off yesterday."

"What are you talking about?" He scoffed.

Nami glanced up at him, blinking her eyes excessively. For half a second he wondered if something was wrong with them but then she grinned. "You know...the way you behave whenever Sanji is around."

He felt like scoffing again, having no idea what she was talking about. "I don't behave-"

"Exactly!" She exclaimed, lugging the two of them towards shapes around a large fire. "That's my point."

Zoro rolled his eyes. "I-"

But the Escape Artist was already gone, her arm slipped from his and her shape joined the others around the fire. 

Zoro glanced around the circle, spotting the Cook easily enough. He tried briefly to figure out what Nami had meant but gave it up a moment later. 

"I don't behave differently." He muttered and stepped into the firelight.

Sabo:

He should have been tired. His legs should have been too exhausted to keep him standing but they didn't cave. 

He was dancing.

It took awhile to get him to his feet -he felt too self conscious- but after three tries of getting him to join he finally allowed Ace to pull him in the circle. He felt awkward at first. This wasn't ballroom dancing or even the dancing Ace had been teaching him. It was free steps and spins and dips. He stood for awhile among them but then he noticed something. They were all doing their own different thing and nobody cared. Nobody judged anyone. They all simply moved with the music and it was beautiful. 

So when Vivi grabbed his hands and they started spinning at random, yet still in time with Apoo and Brook, Sabo followed without question and hadn't stopped moving since. He danced with everyone and no one. 

There was Robin, Ace, Luffy and Nami. Usopp joined in along with Nojiko and Sanji. At one point he saw Franky- a large man with an odd taste in clothes- pick up Robin and spin her so quickly Sabo thought she'd fly away. Both himself and VIvi participated, albeit hesitant at first but the sight of her finding a place in the conglomeration of people and music encouraged him, and -he thought- the sight of him doing the same encouraged her too. 

He thought that the dance would never end. The old mysterious Brook never missed a note with the violin and Apoo hardly bat an eye when the Skeleton man changed pace. It felt as if they would dance until the dawn but eventually something unspoken traveled through the circus folk and they fell to a halt, dissolving into laughter and conversation around the flames. 

The fire Ace and Sanji built was a little beyond the main camp. Anyone and everyone had been invited but Sabo had the feeling that this was something these individuals of the circus did together and not many other circus performers participated.

The rough bark of the tree stump he leaned against was not uncomfortable. Sabo sat beside Ace and Vivi, wearing borrowed clothes from the Fire Dancer. The pants were a little short at the ankles but overall he was comfortable and relaxed, glad to finally be out of his stiff clothes.

He and Vivi still hadn't talked about him telling Ace her secret but there was no tension between the two former Royals. Sabo glanced at the blue haired woman and saw the potential of friendship in her eyes when she smiled back. 

How much their lives had changed.

"Did you hear me?" Ace said, leaning slightly towards him.

Sabo glanced at him with apology. "Sorry no. What did you say?" The flames flickered across the Fire Dancer's features, throwing half of them into ominous shadow. 

"What do you think of our party?" He asked, gesturing to the fire and his group of friends and family. 

"I think it's wonderful." Sabo said with conviction. 

On his other side Vivi chimed in. "I've never seen so many people having fun together before."

Ace grinned at them, clearly pleased with their answers. "The night has only just begun."

Across the circle, Sabo heard Luffy speaking enthusiastically with Robin. The Illusionist looked a little surprised but in the end was happy to comply with his request. With a movement that silenced all conversations, Robin spoke.

"Luffy would like Brook and I to tell one of our stories for the newcomers." She announced, holding everyone's attention. 

"Oh this'll be good." Ace whispered, shifting closer to Sabo. 

Luffy, who had now sandwiched himself between Ace and Law, spoke up. "Tell the one about Roger." He said, excitement in his eyes. 

It was odd. The name sounded vaguely familiar to Sabo but before he could pursue the thought Ace groaned. 

"Luffy." He nearly growled with annoyance. "Nobody wants to hear that story but you."

The Contortionist glared at him. "How do you know Sabo and Vivi don't want to hear?"

Steal grey eyes clashed into his and Sabo had a very bad feeling that he would regret it if he said that he wanted to hear this story.

"We all know that one by heart Lu." Nami said from the other side of Vivi. "Let's hear one of Brook's new stories."

"But-"

"Luffy." Ace hissed, anger in his eyes.

Surprised by his reaction to something that seemed so simple, Sabo glanced around the circle to see if anyone else was. Robin was the only one who looked concerned but the rest of them appeared as though this wasn't something new to them. 

The Contortionist glowered back but said nothing. Instead he crossed his arms and stared at the looming figure of Brook.

"There is plenty of time to tell many different stories." Brook declared. He grinned when speaking, a sight that was unnerving. Over the past two days Sabo had found that what Luffy and Ace had told him was true. The man never took off his skeleton makeup. 

"Which one is it tonight?" Usopp asked eagerly. The Knife Thrower was seated between Nami and her sister. 

The skeleton man glanced at Robin before answering. "Tonight we shall tell you the story of the Sea Triangle."

There was a rich quality in his voice. Sabo couldn't help comparing it to a song that was spoken instead of sung, yet still held melody. Around him the circle was drawn into Brook's voice and the images Robin created to match the tale. Beside him, he felt Ace relax, his sudden anger forgotten. 

What was it about Luffy's story that he disliked so much? And why did the name Roger sound so familiar?

Vivi gasped at an image Robin conjured and Sabo focused back in on the story. 

It was one of mystery and danger. Robin and Brook brought to life the struggle of a sailing crew, trapped on a deadly sea where strange creatures and storms plagued their journey home. 

He was enamored, drinking in every detail and image. This was better than any play he had seen or song he had heard. 

When it was revealed that the Captain of the vessel had been alone on his ship from the start, Sabo glanced at Ace to see his reaction. To his surprise, he found the Fire Dancer fast asleep, breathing calmly in the firelight. 

Sabo looked up to see Luffy watching him who whispered; "He does that sometimes," before turning back to watch and listen.

For the rest of the story, Sabo watched both Ace and the illusions. For the first time since they met, Ace looked completely relaxed. 

The Fire Dancer Ace:

When he woke it was much darker than he remembered. The large fire had shrunk into a heap of deep red coals and the night had grown considerably cooler. 

Ace sat up from the ground, eyes scanning the circle to see who- if anyone- was still around. Movement on his right made him jump.

"Sorry." He heard Sabo say. The former Prince sat against the large tree stump, looking at the sky with his wide eyes. 

Blinking and a bit groggy, Ace squinted. "Where's everyone else?"

Sabo shrugged. "Sleeping I think." He glanced away from the stars to look at Ace. "I didn't mind sticking around."

Ace laughed quietly. "You could have woken me up you know."

"I know." The Prince nodded.

Frowning, Ace brushed dirt from his shoulders. "Then why didn't you? I'm sure you're tired after today and could use your own sleep."

"You looked really peaceful." Sabo answered, looking at the stars again. 

Ace studied him, feeling dazed. He was behaving differently than usual. 

"Why haven't you told Teach about Vivi and I?"

The question startled him, derailing his train of thought. Ace had told Robin that he would come clean yesterday but when he stood outside Teach's tent he hadn't been able to do it. The two were so clearly happy to be here and he didn't like the thought of possibly ruining that. No doubt Teach would be angry. Towards Ace and towards Vivi and Sabo. He knew they just wanted a place to escape, somewhere they could get away from the people they were told to be and that was something he could understand. 

"Because," Ace replied in the darkness. "He won't notice until it's time to perform again, so why bother him with it now?"

It was the best thing he could say without telling the truth, because explaining the truth would hit a little too close to home...


	13. One the Road: Revelations

Vivi:

"Sabo!" Vivi called, jogging towards the tall blonde. 

He turned and looked down at her, his eyes bright in the overcast light. "Oh, hey Vivi." He said, a hesitant expression on his face. 

She couldn't help but laugh a bit. "You don't have to be so nervous around me. I'm not upset that you told Ace anymore."

That seemed to relax him. "Why not?"

Vivi let out a puff of air. "Because I believe you. I don't think he'll say anything if we don't want him to." She waited for him to question it. What changed her mind? Why did she agree with him now?

Instead Sabo just nodded. "Thank you." 

She frowned. "Wait a minute. Aren't you curious as to why I agree?"

The blonde studied her. "I think you realized that I want to be here as badly as you do and that I wouldn't risk that by telling the truth to someone we couldn't trust."

Vivi let that sink in for a moment. "Well...you're exactly right." She smiled at him. "I'm impressed."

He looked somewhat offended. "I'll admit that I'm not a great liar but I'm not incompetent."

"Oh I didn't mean anything by it." She assured, bumping his shoulder with her own. It was nice to finally have a chance to talk to Sabo. She felt bad for the way she thought of him when they first met. He was nothing like his parents or any other nobles she knew and Vivi hoped that she would get to know him better.

"So, hows the dancing going?" She prompted as they walked along the edge of the camp. "It is dancing your learning right?"

Sabo flushed slightly. "Yeah it is." He plunged his hands into the dark coat he wore. "It's going well I think."

"Well that's good." She said, watching him curiously. "Maybe we'll get an act together!" Vivi didn't know how much he knew already but the idea wasn't impossible.

However Sabo was shaking his head. "Ace is trying to get me to do fire dancing with him." His eyes found hers as they walked. "And trust me I'm not very good at any of it yet."

"Is that what you want to do?"

He shrugged. "It's something I'd like to do. I just don't know how good I'll be yet."

Vivi fixed an encouraging look on her face. "That's why you practice. Nami has been helping with that." She watched nearby trees move in the wind as she spoke. "It's important to figure out what works best for you."

Sabo was quiet for a moment and then sighed deeply. "You sound like you've been here your whole life."

Another laugh escaped her. "Not really. At least, I don't think so. I'm just...trying to go with the rhythm that's already here that's all."

"Vivi," Sabo paused and turned to face her. "Last night at the fire...did you know who Luffy was talking about?"

The wind blew past them, weaving it's way through both their hair. "You mean the story about Roger?" Vivi asked, feeling shocked. "You mean to say that you haven't heard of Roger and his thieves?"

A deep frown fell over his features. "Thieves? No. The name sounds familiar but I don't know why."

Vivi's head spun with disbelief. "I don't believe it." She said incredulously. 

"What? Why?" Confusion filled his voice. "Should I know?"

"I should think so!" She replied, her violet eyes boring into his. "How could you not?"

Sabo shook his head. "I have no idea! Is he from Goa or something?"

Vivi blinked. Hard. Was he joking? "He isn't from Goa. He was executed there, or rather on the boarder of Goa and Mary Geoise. He was beheaded in Loguetown." She searched his face for any sort of recognition. Instead he still looked confused. "King Overlook signed the execution papers. Your father condemned him to death."

The Fire Dancer Ace:

The smoke from the morning fire blew into Ace's face but it didn't bother him. It was something that had always made Marco shake his head with disbelief. Too much smoke would get to any fire dancer, he had said. Even Marco got bothered by too much smoke but not Ace. He never once had to shrink back from the grey clouds.

He stood still in the smoke, eyes closed and let it wash over him. He had been right about Sabo. He was keeping up with him. After answering his question about Teach the two of them had stayed under the stars, comfortable with each others presence. 

This revelation had surprised him. Ace hadn't felt so comfortable and at peace with someone since Whitebeard. It was still morning and he was already looking forward to be in Sabo's presence again. 

With a sigh, Ace opened his eyes and nearly jumped out of his skin. "Fuck!" He shouted, his heart racing with fear. "How long have you been standing there?"

Law rolled his eyes. "Just long enough to wonder what you're doing."

Ace shook himself, trying to calm down. "I was putting out the fire." He said, busying himself with finishing the task. "What's-"

"Luffy knows there's more going on with Teach." The Witch Doctor interrupted. 

Ace threw another handful of dirt over the coals. "That doesn't surprise me." He said solemnly. 

"It doesn't surprise me either but I'm worried about what he might do." Law warned. "Especially since he doesn't know how serious this is."

"And I'm afraid he'll do something if he does know." Ace muttered with defeat. He looked up at the grey sky. "Jeez, how did we get here?"

"We can't let Teach go on like this." Law said earnestly. "With threats and fear."

Ace rose quickly from the fire. "I'll talk to Luffy." He said sternly. He wasn't about to talk of taking over the Circus right now. "Don't worry about it Law."

He shook his head. "You know I will anyway."

"And you know I'll tell you not to." Ace countered. He picked up his coat and turned away.

"Ace. Why haven't you told him about the newcomers yet?"

The Fire Dancer paused mid step. "Look around Law. Do you see Teach anywhere? He's too busy getting drunk in his tent to notice so why should I bother telling him?"

"You know how this is going to end, don't you?" 

"I know." Ace replied. "That doesn't mean I want to run towards it."

The Circus Head Teach:

"Teach. There's something you should know."

Teach raised his eyes from the bottle in his hand to the flap of the tent. "What is it Lafitte? I'm busy."

The Mime shook his head. "Not after this you're not."

Irritated, Teach rose to his feet. "Well, spit it out."

"Auger just discovered that we have two new members in the Circus." Lafitte said, clearly pleased with this information for some reason.

"Newcomers? Why don't I know about this?!" Teach demanded, irritation flaring into anger.

Lafitte leaned on the cane he never parted with. "It seems that our Fire Dancer thought it was okay to let them join without consulting you.

"Ace allowed what!?" Teach shouted, dropping the bottle in his hand. 

"That's not everything." The Mime continued. "The two new comers appear to be the missing Prince of Goa and Princess of Alabasta."

Teach spun around and stormed towards him. "You mean the royals with the five hundred thousand reward on their heads?"

"The very same royals heads."

A thought crossed his mind. And then another. He clapped Lafitte's shoulder, a laugh growing in his chest. "This is more than we could have ever hoped for Lafitte!" Teach exclaimed.

"You think so?"

Teach grinned. "This will be the perfect way to finally get rid of Ace and get out of this dump! Two birds. One stone."

The Contortionist Luffy:

"Why don't you just tell him now?" Luffy asked his brother again and again Ace shook his head.

"We had a bad fight and even though he said he didn't care anymore, I think he's still mad." His brother struck a piece of flint again, watching the spark it created. 

"The longer you wait-"

"I know Luffy." Ace closed his eyes briefly. "I know."

Luffy studied his brother. "He's not going to try to hurt you."

"No?" Ace said bitterly. "You and I know that whisky and anger don't mix."

They did in fact know that well, Luffy thought.

"He hasn't had a meal with us in a long time." He said, trying to remember the last time Teach had joined them around a fire. 

"Listen," Ace placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't want you trying to bug him about it. This is between me and Teach."

Luffy frowned. "Well isn't it between you and Teach and Sabo and Vivi?"

His brother shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

"You're all lying to him." Luffy explained. "So that means-"

Ace rolled his eyes and playfully pushed his shoulder. "Just don't go running off anywhere okay?"

"Why?"

"I don't want to give Teach another reason to be upset right now."

Luffy narrowed his eyes. "Ace. I'm not a little kid."

Ace shook his head, apology on his face. "I know. I'm sorry Lu." He pulled him into a hug. "I know I forget that sometimes. Just- be careful okay?"

Luffy nodded. "You too."


	14. On the Road: A Night of Rain

Sabo:

What Sabo wanted to know, was why. Why didn't Ace want Brook to tell the story about Roger? According to Vivi, his name and deeds were known across the continent so it wasn't as if his story was some secret.

Well, not to anyone but Sabo.

For the past two days Sabo had sifted through his memories, trying to figure out what little he had heard as a child. He hadn't come up with much.

He could recall standing with the King in his study. Having been only four or five the long desk the King sat at towered over his head.

"It is important that no one disrespects your authority Sabo." The King's deep voice had seemed so loud then. "Men like this Roger, they have no sense of how the world works. We cannot let these types of men get away with their vicious crimes." A heavy hand fell onto his shoulder. "One day it will be your duty to punish them accordingly, as it is mine today."

Every time he played through the memory Sabo felt a little sick. He figured that the reason he remembered so little about Roger was because Sabo never thought of the King or Queen if he could help it.

Vivi also told him that the man Roger had been a hero to those who couldn't stand up for themselves. He helped free slaves, overthrow unjust Lords and Ladies by stealing their riches and giving them to those who needed it more.

The blonde closed his eyes. He was sure he didn't have the full story, who ever could since the man was dead, but he didn't think someone like that deserved to lose their head. They certainly didn't sound like vicious crimes.

And the question still remained. Did Ace not want it brought up because he knew King Overlook had been the cause of his death and thought that it would bother Sabo? He supposed that could be a possibility but the look in Ace's eyes was much more...intense than Sabo would expect if that was the case.

Part of him wanted to ask, perhaps it wasn't as big of an issue as Sabo thought. But another part told him thought that it wasn't his business in the first place.

With a sigh he did his best to roll over in the hammock he rested in. It was dark and rain was falling outside. He was sharing a tent with Luffy and Ace for the night, their beds suspended in the air to avoid the damp ground.

He had never slept suspended in the air before but Sabo didn't dwell on the thought as much as he normally would. He was too focused on wishing that Koala was here for he was sure she could sort out his thoughts.

Beneath him, Sabo heard Luffy shift again in his own hammock. So, he wasn't the only one losing sleep this night. 

Curious, Sabo tilted his head to glance behind him. Ace was perpendicular to both Sabo and Luffy and seemed to be sleeping soundly. They had all had a long day of travel.

Every morning it got a little easier to face the prospect of walking all day. Sabo's legs had gotten stronger and he felt more relaxed around the people Luffy and Ace interacted with the most. He had discovered that his favorite thing was the last meal of the day. Not just for the food -it was always delicious- but for the company that came with it. Everyone gathered and relaxed and conversed together. 

It was what Sabo imagined a family was supposed to be like. 

A sudden gust of wind threw rain harder at the small tent and Luffy's hammock creaked again. Behind him, Sabo heard a sigh. 

"Luuuffy." Ace muttered with exhausted annoyance. 

"I can't sleep." His brother replied immediately, voice full of alertness. 

Ace groaned and Sabo glanced down to see Luffy jump to his feet and throw a coat over his shoulders. 

"Don't go far." Ace warned, and then Luffy was gone.

Sabo himself shifted, thinking about the bad weather beyond the walls of canvas. "You're not worried?" He asked quietly.

"Hmm." Ace shook his head, half asleep. "I talked to him about what's going on-" He paused suddenly and peeled open his grey eyes. "I mean no. Not really. He's probably just going to find Law."

He was around the Witch Doctor quite often, Sabo thought. "They seem pretty close." He commented.

There was a pause and he wondered if Ace had fallen asleep but then those grey eyes found his again. "I guess so." He frowned, as though never considering it. "I think Lu finds him fascinating."

Sabo studied the top of the tent, watching the canvas tremble with every raindrop. 

"Hey Sabo?"

He blinked. "Yeah?"

"Tomorrow when we get off the road I think we'll start getting you used to fire."

He felt a pang of nerves but pushed it away. He was becoming rather skilled with the dancing part but he wouldn't do anything more if he kept avoiding fire. "Alright." He said calmly, his mind drifting once again to Koala. 

Another gust of wind pounded water against the tent and a sigh escaped Sabo.

"Are you alright?" Ace asked suddenly. "You sound..."

"Ah, sorry." Sabo said quickly. "I'm worried about Koala. She should have been here by now."

Concern crept into Ace's voice. "You think something happened?"

He felt like sighing again. If something had happened, how could he ever forgive himself this time? "I don't know." 

At best, she had a later start than anticipated and was behind on their trail. At worst.... Well, it wouldn't make him feel any better if he thought of those options. 

Ace's hammock creaked. "Hey," He began thoughtfully. "Are Princes only allowed to call their parents King and Queen?" 

Sabo frowned, instantly distracted. "What?" He shifted so he could see Ace without twisting his head around uncomfortably. He thought there was a hint of understanding in Ace's eyes but Sabo couldn't be certain. 

"You only ever call your parents King and Queen." Ace pointed out. 

This was easy to explain. "That's because that's all they ever were to me."

He seemed to only briefly consider this answer before accepting it and the two fell into silence again. Sabo thought of using the silence to bring up Roger but quickly decided against it. 

"What about your parents?" He asked instead. 

The Fire Dancer raised his brows and laughed bitterly. "I didn't have any. I lived in an orphanage until I ran away from the place."

He felt the sparks of curiosity travel through him. "You and Luffy?"

Ace lifted his arms and rested his hands beneath his head. "Ah right. We're not related in the official sense but we've been together since we were three and six." He shook his head with disbelief. "I had no idea he followed me the day I left the orphanage. He was like my own shadow back then. We never left each other's side."

That spoke to how close they were, Sabo thought. "How did you end up here?" He wondered.

Above them rain pattered gently against the tent, the wind dying down outside. 

"We were hungry and lost." Ace explained. "I had no real idea of what it took to live on the streets at the time." A grin spread across his face. "We stumbled upon the circus one night. It was Marco who we noticed first. The heat of the flames drew us in."

He spoke of the past with wistful fondness that brought a far away look to his eyes. Sabo couldn't help admiring how much the circus and it's people clearly meant to him. 

"Then what happened?"

Ace blinked. "Oh." He grinned at Sabo. "Then I decided I would try to steal from them."

He imagined two small kids sneaking through the circus tents as he had done a week ago. He figured they probably had as much luck as he did.

"We were so hungry that we walked right into the food tent and started eating." Ace continued, mirth in his voice. "We didn't notice he was there watching us until he asked if we wanted more."

"He?"

The fondness crept back into his words. "Whitebeard." He explained. "We nearly jumped out of our skins. We tried to run but at this point we were only seven and ten so he easily grabbed us by our collars and dragged us outside."

"Sounds like he was mad." Sabo mused.

"Hmm, not really. He wanted to teach us a lesson sure, but I don't think he was mad." Ace paused to yawn before continuing. "He called everyone in the circus at the time so we were surrounded by dozens of strange looking people which didn't do anything for our nerves. Of course I insisted I wasn't scared and glared at anything and everything."

Sabo laughed at the thought. "I can imagine that pretty clearly." He said smiling. "What about Luffy?"

Ace shrugged. "Oh Lu was trying to hide behind me while also insisting that he wasn't scared. Whitebeard told everyone we had been stealing the food they worked so hard for and as punishment we would be serving them their dinner for the night and do all the clean up work on our own without getting a scrap of food for ourselves."

"Wow." Sabo breathed, despite himself. Just the thought of such a thing made his stomach ache with hunger. 

Ace laughed. "It's definitely up on the list of the hardest things I've ever had to do but it all turned out fine. At the end of the night Whitebeard took us aside and admired the work we did and that no matter how many times we had to stop each other, neither of us took any of the food. He told us we did good hard work and if we continued to work hard we could stay with them and eat with them all the time."

"That's how you joined the circus."

He nodded. "And we've never left."

There was one thing Sabo couldn't get out of his mind. "Did you get to eat that night?"

The grin was back. "We did! To this day, I swear that was the best meal I've ever had."

"Even over Sanji's cooking?" Sabo asked surprised.

Ace nodded. "The only thing that tops it."

He mulled over Ace's story, his thoughts hinging on Whitebeard. He didn't have to do what he did for Ace and Luffy but he chose to anyway. "Whitebeard sounds like he was a good man."

"He was that." Ace agreed. "He united outcasts from all across the continent and made a home for them." A hint of sadness flashed across his face.

"You've given me a home." Sabo pointed out, hoping what he said would dispel whatever the sadness was.

Ace made a sound of disagreement. "I'm not sure I'll be able to really unite and give people a home as he did."

Sabo sat up as best he could without colliding with the tent ceiling. "Does this have something to do with whatever has been going on?"

Ace glanced at him with surprised curiosity. "What makes you say that?" He asked carefully.

Sabo looked at him with disbelief. "I'm not sure why but you've not exactly been hiding it and while I may not know the details, it's clear to me that whatever is going on with you and Teach will most likely change this place."

Ace watched him quietly. Sabo wasn't sure what he was looking for or what he saw but he watched him back, waiting for his verdict. 

In the end the Fire Dancer sighed and relaxed in the hammock. "It's going to be fine." He said to the tent ceiling. 

"If it's going to be fine then why are you so worried?" Sabo countered. He wanted to help him. So far Ace had been the one helping him every step of the way and he wanted to return the favor. 

He caved. "I know that I'm going to have to stand against Teach for the good of the circus but..." Ace shook his head. "What if doing that ruins our home instead? How could I forgive myself? How could anyone here forgive me?"

"No one here would believe you mean this place harm Ace." Sabo said truthfully. Everyone here loved him to different degrees and respected him thoroughly. "They would stand by you."

He shook his head adamantly. "This is my responsibility alone. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

A chill raced down Sabo's back. "Hurt?" 

Ace rolled over, turning away from him. "I can handle this Sabo." He said tersely. "We should get some sleep now. We have an early start tomorrow."


	15. On the Road: More Than Friends

The Witch Doctor Law:

He knew something was different because he woke feeling relaxed.

The sensation was strange and pulled him from the heavy fog of sleep. The last time he had felt so at peace was from a time Law didn't think he still had memories of. He stayed as he was, eyes closed and body still. He tried to record the feeling so as not to forget it again. It was the first time he'd had a dreamless sleep in years.

However, the feeling vanished the moment he opened his eyes.

He was expecting the familiar stretch of his cot and the close wall of the tent as these were the usual sights that greeted him every morning after rain.

What he did not expect was the sprawling form of Luffy, lightly snoring next to him with half his body hanging off the cot towards the ground.

The sight was nearly enough to make him fall off to the ground.

Law stared his relaxed face beneath the mop of dark hair, his mind raging for an explanation that could tell him how they'd ended up like this.

He remembered Luffy startling him out of his usual restless sleep in the night. Law rarely slept well and the rain had been no help for that. He always tried though and so, while his mind drifted between wakefulness and sleep he'd become aware of someone's presence.

Surprised by the sense of someone nearby he snapped open his eyes and there had been Luffy, standing in the opening of the tent. Law had asked him what was so urgent that it couldn't wait till morning and Luffy replied that he couldn't sleep.

"Well don't just stand there letting rain in." He had told him and so Luffy had seated himself on the ground across from the cot and started talking. 

Law had sat up at this point, accepting the fate of a sleepless night and listened. Luffy talked about what seemed like anything and everything but it wasn't a listless drone of words and while Law listened he had taken the time to observe.

He noted the way Luffy's eyes lit up when he got excited and how he gestured while telling a story. Even the way he'd occasionally rock gently back and forth without realizing it. At one point Law had laid back down during one of Luffy's explanations and that was the last thing he could remember. 

Beside him Luffy shifted and muttered something indecipherable. A frown crossed the contortionist's features and Law ignored the urge to smooth his brows back. 

It was strange to be able to see him like this. He never stayed still. Luffy was a determined force of energy and happiness and he bounded through each day making others around him happier. He reminded Law of everything good in life and how much it was worth living. People were worth knowing, friends worth having. New places were exciting and interesting. 

He let out a sigh, letting the wave of relaxation flow over him once more. He knew of course that the feeling was because of Luffy and Law dreaded the moment he would leave. It was something Law would keep to himself, letting it become another feeling buried with all the others. 

It was rather early for there was only faint sunlight and no sound from any of the others. It was imperative that the circus got on the road as soon as possible. The storm had hindered them well before nightfall the day before and had put them hours behind schedule. Law knew all this but instead risked carefully brushing away a lock of hair from Luffy's face.

The Contortionist shifted and Law withdrew instantly, heart pounding. Luffy muttered something about feathers and proceeded to roll over and off the cot before Law could think about grabbing him. 

There was barely even a thud when he landed on the ground and the blanket slid off with him. Law shivered in the cool air, thankful for the long sleeve and pants he wore. He waited for Luffy to sit up, shaking his head with confusion but he didn't move and it took a moment for Law to realize that he was still fast asleep.

He shook his head smiling slightly and sat up. The blanket had fallen almost completely over Luffy's face. It was a woven blanket with fringed edges and Law lifted his hand, reaching out with magic. 

The blanket moved as he directed, the fringe brushing Luffy's nose until, with a loud sneeze the contortionist woke up.

Luffy blinked with tired confusion and sneezed once more before sitting up. He pulled the blanket around him and squinted at Law.

With a measured voice Law spoke. "What made you think you could sleep here last night?" He asked apprehensively.

Luffy yawned hugely and then frowned. "You did." He replied, dark eyes boring into Law's yellow ones.

He took a moment, measuring his internal reaction. The thought troubled Law- what exactly had he said while falling asleep?

As if sensing his struggle to remember, Luffy clarified. "I asked you if I could stay and you said of course."

He felt his heart skip a beat and Law rose from the cot. "Don't rely on the words of someone who's not awake." He grumbled and reached out, pulling Luffy's coat from the ground and into the air. "And take your coat, the blanket is mine." He swapped the two, catching the blanket and tugging it around his shoulders.

Luffy pulled on the coat, his face sparked with interest. He always enjoyed watching Law move things without touching them. "I wish I could that."

"It's not all that special." Law told him, removing the pieces of wood that supported the canvas of the cot. He folded the canvas and tucked it and the wood pieces into a leather bag. 

"Your magic is special." Luffy said with conviction. "You save people all the time with it."

The thought was a kind one but it only brought up dark and painful memories. "I can't save everyone." Law muttered to the leather bag. 

"Here." 

He turned to find Luffy standing beside him. He held out a long black feather that was attached to a small sharp piece of metal.

"It fell out when you got up." Luffy told him.

Law took the earring and replaced it back through his ear. "Thank you."

Luffy stared at it. "Did you get that one from a raven?"

"No." Law replied. "From an old friend."

Vivi:

She was rather certain that no one else was awake quite yet. She breathed in the early morning air, noting the hint of rain that lingered. The smell of rain was one she knew very well. The scent meant fresh stores of water and supplied for what little crops manged in the heat of Alabasta. 

One of her earliest memories was a time her father woke her in the night and took her onto the palace balcony. Rain had poured down from the skies, each droplet breaking against the stone where it reformed with the remains of others. 

It made a roaring sound that gave her chills and Vivi felt that she had to be apart of it. Cobra had walked with her right into the storm, smiling down at his amazed daughter. 

She reached up towards the clouds, blinking through the relentless water. There was something wild about it all. The sky churned above her head, the clouds looking close enough to touch. Rainfall stretched across the city and into the desert beyond in a way that she knew only sand to do.

"Remember the smell of the rain Vivi." Cobra had said, following her gaze. "Knowing when the skies will gift us with water can be the thing that saves this country one day."

A crack of thunder crashed through the atmosphere and Vivi clung to her fathers soaked robes with fright.

"Not to worry." He told her fondly. "Thunder is a reminder from the gods to always be thankful for what we have."

Since that night, whenever it stormed in Alubarna Vivi had been among it. She longed for them when months went by without. The raging release of the storms became her own way of release.

Last night had been the first time she hadn't felt the need to be apart of it. Vivi listened to the rain from inside the tent and felt at peace. 

Now, bathed in the pale morning sun she noted that they wouldn't be getting any more rain for the next few days. The time of the storm had past.

She couldn't help thinking about her father after remembering her first rain storm. Vivi did wonder how he felt about her disappearance and it pained her that he would probably never know what happened to her. 

She had never hated him. She had only hated the life she had to live and even though he had arranged for her to marry she knew he had only done it because he thought it was the best choice for their country. It had angered her but it never made her hate him.

Part of her wished she had had more time when deciding to run. Then she could have left a note so at least he would understand and know that she was alive and still loved him. 

Vivi breathed out a light laugh and shook her head. She had to let go of the past now. She would never forget it, but she couldn't cling to it. Otherwise it might feel like she had never run away.

"Hey." A soft voice said.

Vivi jumped and whirled around to see Robin standing outside the girls tent. 

"I'm sorry." Robin said earnestly. She came towards the tree under which Vivi stood. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Gathering her wits, Vivi quickly wiped away at her eyes. "No it's alright." Her voice was thick.

Eyes that seemed to see through her watched Vivi closely. "Are you alright?" She asked sincerely. 

"Ah." Vivi nodded. "Yes I'm fine."

Robin didn't waver. "Something on your mind?"

Vivi shifted from foot to foot. "Yes." She answered. "I was just thinking about my father." The second part slipped out before she could think about it.

The woman frowned. "Is he dead?"

Her violet eyes widened. "No of course not! I just...I didn't get to say goodbye to him."

"I see." Robin mused. 

Vivi was convinced that she did indeed see it somehow.

"I noticed you and Nami have become rather close." The Illusionist said, drastically changing the subject.

Confused by the jump, Vivi nodded awkwardly. "I guess so." She flushed after she spoke, feeling pinned beneath those blue eyes. "She's been helping me a lot."

"You help her too you know." Robin waved a hand and there within it was a smiling Nami. "Everyone here but myself has known her since she was a child. I believe she's glad to have someone who sees her differently than the others do."

Vivi gazed at the image of the Escape Artist. She hadn't thought of it this way before and she believed Robin had to be right. "I'm anxious to get to know her more." She managed, unsure of what else -if anything- to say. 

Robin smiled kindly at her. "Don't worry about your father Vivi. I'm sure he knows you still love him."

And then she walked away, leaving Vivi speechless in the morning light.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sabo:

The torch in his hand was heavier than he expected. Not that it was what he would consider heavy, they just looked lighter than air whenever Ace spun or threw them.

They hadn't discussed the conversation from the night before and Sabo had decided to leave it that way for now. Instead he focused on the motion Ace had taught him. The torch spun around in his hand, faster than the times before and he grinned. 

"You're picking up on this fast." Ace said, watching him with approval. "I told you that you could do it."

Sabo caught the torch mid spin. "Except that it's not lit yet."

Ace nodded and bent to pry open a small barrel. "We'll start that now." He said, dipping another torch into the barrel. 

Sabo watched him as he prepared the torch. Ace set it aside so any excess oil could drip back into the barrel and he pulled off his shirt. 

"You too." He said, tossing the fabric aside. "Unless you want to catch fire." Ace teased.

Sabo rolled his eyes and set the torch aside. "Are you trying to make this hard?" He teased back, taking a breath and pulling off his own shirt.

He did his best not to feel self conscious, though the feeling didn't come from not wearing his shirt. He knew what Ace would see; stretches of puckered and red skin that traveled from just below his neck to his waist. 

It wasn't his whole back, but when it had happened, he felt as though it was and then some. He had had Koala tell him what looked like once. She had offered to set up a double mirror but he had refused, not wanting to truly see it. So she had described the scars to him and that had been enough.

Ace raised his brows, making no effort to hide his reaction and Sabo was thankful he didn't try. 

"I've never seen scaring like this." Ace said softly, drawing closer. "I mean, of course I've seen my fair share of burn scars but never to this intensity."

Sabo found the thought surprising. "Really?" He asked over his shoulder, letting Ace study the scars. He felt his face grow warm but it wasn't because he was flustered.

Ace didn't answer but Sabo figured he had shaken his head. "Can I...?"

His heart thumped. "Sure."

He felt a light touch in the middle of his back and he shivered slightly. 

"I've never given much thought to what it must be like to burn." Ace admitted. "Fire has always been easy for me and of course for Marco he couldn't be burned so I never really considered it." Sabo felt him trace the scars up towards his neck. "Other than knowing it would be hot." He added. 

Sabo cleared his throat, feeling more than exposed and turned to face him. "You're lucky." He said quietly. 

Ace nodded thoughtfully and offered him a grin. "Well, I still think you're up for this." He turned towards the torch and picked it up. "Just remember what I said about-"

"Actually, can you give me a moment?" Sabo interrupted tensely, hands in fists at his sides.

Ace glanced up from the torch with concern. "Sure. Of course..."

He took a breath. And then another. Sabo closed his eyes and tired to calm his heart. The shaky feeling that had washed over him lessened a bit and he relaxed his hands. "Sorry I-"

"Don't be sorry." Ace was quick to say. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked about burns like that."

Sabo shook his head, the feeling growing faint. He never thought he would feel anxiety like this again. He'd been convinced he would finally leave it behind along with his title. "It's really alright." He said, opening his eyes. "I thought I would be fine." 

Ace was watching him carefully. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." He said, forcing confidence into his voice. "And I'd like to keep going but do you think I could watch you a few times before trying?"

In an instant the atmosphere was relaxed again. Ace nodded and picked up the torch, holding to the small fire they had built for this purpose.

Sabo watched and thought only of Ace and the technique behind the spinning torch. He watched for a time that was probably longer than necessary but after a while it was hard to ask Ace to stop. The Fire Dancer looked so alive and so content with the flames. It was almost as if they were an extension of himself. 

After a few more minutes however Sabo found himself watching Ace more than the fire and he begrudgingly interrupted. 

Ace and the flames came to a halt and he snuffed out the torch. "Ready?" He asked, eyes lit with excitement. 

Sabo nodded and picked up a torch. He carefully dipped it in the oil and gave it time to drip before holding it into the consistent fire. The cloth ignited instantly and the flames danced towards the sky.

He felt calmer than he expected. Perhaps it was because of his anxiety earlier or from watching Ace move with it so effortlessly.

Sabo let everything but the flame and the torch fall away. There was nothing but the instrument in his hand the heat that danced across it. His fingers moved deftly, shifting and twisting with the torch while his bright eyes focused on the flames.

He spun it as long and as quickly as he felt comfortable and then halted it easily. There was a grin on his face and he finally felt a swell of pride since he'd joined the circus. He was good at this. Sabo even felt that he could be great at this.

Ace was clapping and looked genuinely impressed. "How did that feel?"

"Amazing." Sabo breathed back. He twisted the torch a few times to make sure he really held the burning instrument.

"Think you're ready for two?"

The next part of the evening passed in a blur of flames and laughter. Sabo manged so well with two torches that Ace began teaching some more complex movements and twists. 

It wasn't until they set the fire aside for dancing that things seemed to slow down. There was one movement Sabo had constant trouble with and Ace began breaking it down for him again.

"Let the motion flow from your hips to your foot." He explained, showing the movement once more. 

Sabo sighed with frustration and tried to watch how Ace did it. The only thing was, he kept getting distracted.

After a few more failed attempts Ace rocked back onto his heels. "What's wrong?"

"I keep getting distracted." Sabo mumbled with defeat.

"Well, what's on your mind?" 

Heat danced across Sabo's cheeks. "Nothing." He said too quickly. 

Ace squinted at him. "I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong. What's on your mind?"

Sabo sighed. He couldn't hide it for long at this point. "You." He said quietly.

Ace brows shot up. "Me." He repeated. 

"You're very distracting sometimes." Sabo said, trying not to stumble over his words. In truth Sabo could find Ace to be distracting at any time, something that had only gotten worse with time. 

Ace considered him silently, which did not help his nerves. Finally, something playful crept into Ace's gaze and he shrugged. "That's part of the performance." He eyed Sabo from head to toe. "You can be too." He plucked up the torches and spun them before holding them out to Sabo. 

Feeling even more flushed he took the torches and looked at them. "What now?"

"Try." Ace told him.

Sabo stared at him. "Try what?" He asked stupidly. 

Ace crossed his arms and grinned wickedly. "Distract me."


	16. Everything Is Fine

**Sabo:**

The torches felt like dead weight in his hands. He felt his heart racing and his face go red.

Any move felt like the wrong one with Ace watching him like this. He was nowhere near the skill level Ace was at. He had never done this before. Sabo didn't know how to seduce people, or even at the very _least_ flirt with them. 

Sabo was frozen in the moment but he felt that he'd be damned if he stood still. So he closed his eyes and thought of harder, scarier things.

He thought of being trapped inside the castle for the rest of his life. He recalled the bruises on Koala when she was a child. He thought of how hard it was to get out of bed every morning and the way the King and Queen hardly looked at him. Sabo thought of the last thing the Queen and had said to him and how it had made him feel.

He thought of Koala and the Circus. How alive both of them made him feel. He thought of the strength of his desire to be free and the strength Koala had to help him. He thought of Vivi and Luffy and Ace. He thought of camp fires and stories and dancing. He thought of the feeling of Ace's hand on his back.

Only then could Sabo open his eyes. He moved effortlessly - _had_ been moving effortlessly. The heat enveloped him as he spun and danced around and within the flames. 

He moved with confidence and fear. Joy and pain. He amazed himself at the ease of his dance and didn't shy away from the growing heat around him. 

Through the smoke he saw Ace but couldn't be sure what expression he wore through the smoke. He felt proud as he twisted, maintaining his grasp on the torches. 

Sabo had no idea how or when he would stop when the Fire Dancer swore loudly.

"Shit!" Ace exclaimed, his eyes growing wide.

Startled from his rhythm Sabo glanced at his leg where Ace had been staring. The thin pants he wore were a light with flame, the fire eating up the material ferociously. 

"SHIT!" Sabo screamed, dropping the torches and then the heat disappeared as Ace threw a barrel of water over his head.

**The Fire Dancer Ace:**

"Just _don't move._ You're going to be fine." Law glowered at Sabo's blistered leg again, frustration on his face.

Again Sabo nodded and clenched his fists. He was shivering because of the water and shaking with anxiety.

Ace crossed his arms, his own frustration surfacing. This whole thing was his fault. Whether he had pushed Sabo too far to begin with, put the wrong sort of pressure on him or-

Law rose abruptly from Sabo's side and rushed out from the small tent.

At the same time blue eyes met grey ones and held each other there.

Ace paused his pacing. "Listen, I'm sorry-"

The canvas flew open as Law stormed back in. "Here, drink this." He held out one of his small ceramic cups to Sabo, who stared at it. "It's going to help you relax." Law insisted. "That's your biggest problem right now, not your leg."

Sabo hesitantly took the cup and briefly sniffed the contents before swallowing it all in one gulp. 

The Witch Doctor looked at him disapprovingly but let it be. "Now," He said, pushing away the burned remains of Sabo's pant leg. "This won't hurt but I'm told it feels strange and I can't have you moving."

Ace watched as Sabo blinked with brief confusion. "Oh you're going to do your magic thing." He said, more to himself than either of them.

Law rolled his eyes but nodded. 

Ace finally gave up with the pacing and sat on the opposite side Law beside Sabo to watch.

When it was a sickness, there was hardly much to see other than the strengthening of the patients body and color returning to their face. However, when it came to wounds -even the minor ones- you could see the damage reversing. Law would place his hands over the wound, sometimes closing his eyes, sometimes muttering under his breath and eventually the wound would fade. 

Depending on the severity of the original injury and the energy Law had to spend to heal it, some would leave faint scars while the easier ones would vanish entirely. 

Ace was glad to see that Sabo's blisters would be ones to heal entirely. 

"How did this happen?" Law asked him as he worked. "It's not like you to be careless with fire."

Ace, who had been considering the answer while pacing had finally figured it out. While it was likely that it was a combination of giving Sabo more than he was ready for and the flirting, Ace knew the main reason was because Sabo had done just what Ace had asked. He had distracted him. And instead of paying attention the fire and the torches, Ace had been focusing on the beautiful blonde Prince.

"Well?" Law prompted.

"I got distracted." Ace said and glanced up at Sabo. He had closed his eyes when Law started to work but the Fire Dancer didn't miss the slight smirk that crept over his lips now.

Law mumbled something under his breath and shook his head. "You got distracted." He repeated. 

"That was the point." Sabo chimed in unhelpfully. 

Ace narrowed his eyes at the Prince but Sabo kept his closed as if expecting his harsh gaze.

Law paused his healing to glance between the two of them with exasperation. " _If_ there's a next time, make the effort to _actually_ be careful."

Ace laughed and grinned at him. "Ah Law, it's sweet to know you care."

"Don't push it." He warned with a glare and returned to his work. "I'm almost done." He added.

Sabo opened one eye to check the progress. "Unbelievable!" He exclaimed, staring wide eyed at his leg. "It's all gone!" He reached down to test the skin but Law smacked his hand away.

"I said _almost_ done." 

"It seems you've relaxed a bit." Ace mused.

Sabo glanced at him and shrugged. 

"It's the tea." Law muttered and then sat back. "Alright I'm done." He rose to his feet and headed towards the tent flap. "Stay here with him for a bit. He probably shouldn't stand for a while." 

"Wait what?" Ace asked, jumping to his feet. "Why?"

"He swallowed a whole dose of laudanum."

Ace stared after him. "You gave him laudanum!?"

Law slipped beyond the tent. "No one ever drinks the whole cup." His muffled voice said.

"Law? How long- Law!?" 

"So I did it huh?" Sabo asked, completely unfazed by the shouting.

Ace stared at him for a moment. "What? Oh." He ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Yeah you did." He admitted, unable to fight off a smile. 

Sabo shook his head. "I didn't think I could."

Ace snorted and sat down across from him. He knew Law wouldn't have prepared a dose that would last long but he prepared himself for a long wait regardless. "You don't give yourself enough credit." 

Sabo watched him closely. "Neither do you." He pointed unnecessarily at Ace. "You thought I only meant you were distracting while dancing." He cupped his chin in his hands and sighed deeply. "You're distracting me all the time."

Ace blinked, feeling a wave of _something_ in his chest. "And why's that?" He asked tentatively.

The blonde frowned in thought. "It just sort of happened a long time ago and now even more." 

"Wait. A long time ago?" Ace frowned. "What do you mean a long time ago?"

Sabo blinked at him with surprise. "Koala used to make fun of me after the Circus and-" His blue eyes widened as he seemed to realized he was speaking aloud and he slammed his mouth shut.

Ace rose to his feet and started pacing, unsure of how to respond to this. "You said you came to the Circus every year..."

"This tea..." Sabo muttered halfheartedly. "It's making me confused..."

"Oh no you don't." Ace spun towards him. "I want to hear all about this. How long have you- how long have you been... _attracted_ to me?" He inquired mercilessly. He couldn't be sure why, but something in Ace demanded that he know. 

Sabo struggled to his feet. "I don't know what I meant- I mean what you meant- I mean... _whoa!_ " The blonde staggered and tilted towards the ground.

Lurching forward Ace did his best to grab him but underestimated how fast Sabo was falling. They collapsed onto the ground much like they had when wrestling Luffy except that this time Luffy wasn't there to distract either of them.

Ace had fallen on top of him again but made no effort to move. He stared into the bright blue eyes that seemed to yawn beneath him endlessly. Ace knew there had been more to why he looked forward to Sabo's company so much. He knew there was more to why he didn't want to tell Teach _about_ Sabo. 

He didn't want to risk changing this. He wanted to keep him close and maintain the confusing sense of excitement, attraction and peace he felt around Sabo. He enjoyed every time Sabo blushed and laughed with him. He liked getting to know him and that he somehow managed to tower over Ace with only a few extra inches in height.

Ace wanted Sabo to stay with him and he felt that telling Teach would jeopardize that.

"How long?" Ace asked him, his body hyper aware of every point of contact between them. Sabo's skin was still damp but felt considerably warm and pleasant. 

Sabo's gaze flicked to Ace's lips and back to his eyes. "A few years." He told him.

He could feel Sabo's heart racing beneath his hand and Ace felt rationality begin to slip away. "I should get up." He forced himself to say.

Sabo had no interest in making it easy for him. "I don't want you to." He whispered.

He didn't know if it was the tea or something else that made Sabo so bold at the moment but Ace felt his resolve weakening because of it. "I-" 

The tent flap flew open. "He should be able to walk now-"

 _"Law."_ Ace growled instantly and jumped to his feet. He marched towards the Witch Doctor fuming. "Of all the times to come back you choose now!?" His face was red and his body hot. 

Law stared, said nothing more and promptly left but when Ace turned around Sabo was gone.

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***

**Vivi:**

Since the storm they had only traveled for one day more. According to Robin who had discussed their delay with the Circus Head, there was a group of highwaymen raiding the road south. Since that was the road they needed to take, Teach had decided they could afford to wait until the highwaymen had gone farther south with hopes of avoiding them entirely. 

In addition to the one day of travel they had been at the same camp for the past two days and Nami had spent those two days doing everything to make sure Vivi wasn't bored.

It didn't matter how many times Vivi explained that she wasn't, Nami would find something interesting for them to do and today it was knives. 

"Usopp taught me everything I know." The redhead was explaining to her. "He'll help get you started. It's important to know how to protect yourself."

Vivi hurried after her, dodging tent ropes and stakes. "Are you expecting a fight?" She asked curiously.

"Not necessarily." Nami replied, leading them towards the center of camp. "But the road is a dangerous place and you never know who you might encounter. Like those highwaymen for instance."

Vivi figured that was a good enough point and focused on the prospect of learning how to properly wield a knife.

They found Usopp standing just beyond the center of camp with a pile of patched woven bags. They were fat, filled as much as they could be but they were no bigger than Vivi's head.

"What are those Usopp?" She asked, also noting row after row of blades, knives and sling shots spread across a small table. 

The Knife Thrower jumped at her question, having not noticed their presence. "These are for target practice." He explained. "Since we'll be here for awhile I decided to use the time to get better."

Nami plucked up a blade and shook her head. "I want you to teach Vivi how to fight with a knife today."

Usopp snatched it from her hand. "Be careful!" He warned. "And I'd love to help you but Law is going to help me today so I'll have to decline."

Nami shook her head. "There's no need to be so formal about it." She muttered. "Fine, but only because I know how hard it is to get Law's help." She picked up another knife and this time danced out of his reach. "And, only if I get to use your knives to teach Vivi what I know at least."

Usopp grumbled but nodded. "Okay, but stay nearby where I can supervise."

Vivi studied the bags again. "How is Law helping you practice?"

"I'll show you." The Witch Doctor said, approaching them.

Nami sighed deeply and set the dagger aside. "Alright, let's get comfortable Vivi." She said, settling on a nearby tree stump. "This is something you'll want to see."

Confused but eager to see what was about to happen, Vivi sat beside Nami and watched the two men. The two carried the bags- which Nami told her were filled with dirt- rather far from the small table covered with weapons. Once they were placed in a pile Law sat on the ground in front of them, facing the direction of the table.

Usopp made his way back to the knives and picked up three, holding them between his fingers and waited. 

She had heard about Law's magic abilities but seeing it was something else. Vivi gasped as the bags floated through the air at different speeds and spun around each other. Some flew towards Usopp while others rotated randomly through space.

The Knife Thrower didn't miss a single bag. The rate at which he threw the knives made them impossible to see clearly. The only indication that he threw anything were sudden flashes of silver in the sunlight. He went through row after row of blades, the bags bursting open and spilling their contents to the ground below.

"The goal is to hit the bags as many times he can before they're empty." Nami explained. "But he has to hit each one once before he can start hitting them a second time and so on."

Vivi stared with utter awe. "He's amazing!"

Nami laughed. "He is, but don't let him hear you. He won't be able to stop boasting about it."

Out of knives now, he picked up a slingshot and started firing. There were small piles of dirt scattered across the space between Law and Usopp but he wasn't finished yet.

"He never misses!" Vivi praised, her eyes wide. 

"If he did, Law wouldn't sit on that side of him." Nami said with a proud grin. "He should be nearly finished though. It never takes very long."

Sure enough Usopp fired a few more and then the bags drifted empty to the ground. He was grinning and started picking up the knives and blades. 

"That was five times?" Law asked him, rising to his feet.

Usopp nodded. "Thirty bags, five times each." 

"Bravo!" Vivi excalimed, jumping to her feet. "That was amazing!"

She saw a blush creep across his face but he stood tall. "Thank you." He said. "Of course it was! I'm the best with a blade!"

Nami opened her mouth but Usopp beat her too it. 

"I said _blade_. Not _sword_." 

The Escape Artist laughed lightly and took Vivi's hand. "Come on Vivi. Let's start practicing before we distract the _god_ Usopp any further."

Vivi laughed and left the Knife Thrower with a grin as Nami pulled her away.

**The Vendor Sanji:**

He wasn't in a bad mood, but he wasn't in a particularly good one either. Once again Teach had denied his request to adding a trapeze and high wire act. The man had told him that it would take too many extra funds to build and buy the equipment needed.

"Too many funds my ass." Sanji cursed, making his way back towards the camp center. 

It made no sense to him. Franky had explained that he could make a plan for the tent and essential equipment within the funds the Circus had for new acts. Sanji had said as much to Teach but the man had refused to listen. 

In fact, Sanji had pushed him pretty far this time and while he didn't change his mind, Teach wasn't annoyed or upset by his request at all. In the past year the man had always found some reason to be angry at something and the change worried him. 

"Hey Sanji." 

The cook looked up to see Ace sitting outside his personal tent. "Ace." He said.

"You ask Teach about your own act again?" He asked, something heavy in his voice.

Sanji nodded. "The bastard gave me the same damn excuses."

Ace shook his head, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. "I'm sorry man."

Suspicious, Sanji studied him. He was sitting cross legged wearing a loose shirt and pants and held a piece of flint in his hand. "What do you have to be sorry about?"

"Ah." Ace shrugged. "Nothing I guess, I just feel bad for you that's all."

"Yeah well don't waste your time." He muttered and sat next to him. "Teach was in a really good mood though."

Ace frowned. "He was?" He asked doubtfully. 

Sanji nodded. "It was weird. I pestered the hell out of him and he didn't even glare at me." He glanced at the cloudy sky. "Something has made him happy."

Beside him Ace was silent, staring at the flint in his hands blankly. 

"I'm sure it won't last long though." He continued. "Never does."

Ace remained quiet, his face pale. 

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Sanji asked, shaking his shoulder

"Everything is fine." He said suddenly, shaking himself from the stupor. "Don't worry about it Sanji."


	17. The Lost Prince and Princess Found

**Vivi:**

She was quite good at wielding a knife. Even Usopp mentioned how impressed he was by how quickly she grew comfortable holding and using one. He had promised to buy her ones of her own when they made it to the next town so she could carry two with her all the time.

Vivi had become very good at fighting with one as well. She had managed to beat Nami and got close to beating Usopp as well. She moved fast and with confidence. To her, she saw it as a form of dancing.

She stretched her arms above her head and fell into crouch, watching her opponent. Everyone else had surrounded them eagerly, excited to watch the two spar. She didn't have very high hopes at winning, but Vivi had decided to go through with this to better prepare herself. As Nami had said, you never knew who you'd meet on the road and not everyone would be of her build or of her skill level.

Across from her, Zoro swung his sword around to the proper position. 

"I still think it's unfair that he's using his sword." Nojiko muttered, sitting to Vivi's left.

"Right now it's not about a fair fight." Ace replied across from her. "It's about seeing what she can do against someone with more power and reach than her."

Usopp was shaking his head. "I've never beat him."

"The only one who's come close is Tra." Luffy declared from beside Sabo.

"Nojiko is right." Sanji countered. "It's not fair."

Ace shook his head with defeat. "Alright." He called to them. "You two ready?"

Vivi took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes." From what she knew about Zoro he was a well balanced fighter. He was fast, strong and observant. No doubt he already had an attack plan in mind already. 

Vivi clenched her hands around the hilts of the daggers in her hands. She'd do what Nami and Usopp taught her. Use his speed and her own to get in close.

"I'm ready." Zoro replied, with a grin on his face.

Vivi couldn't help grinning back.

"Begin." 

She was blinking up at the sky before she had a chance to realize what happened. 

Exclamations of disapproval and excitement bounced loudly around the group.

"She didn't have a chance to think." She heard Robin say.

Nami spoke next. "Are you okay?" She called.

"I thought Vivi was good..." Luffy muttered with disappointment. 

"Go easy on her!" Franky added. 

Vivi clambered to her feet, shaking her head. "No!" She dusted off her shirt. "Don't hold back, I know we're not actually going to cut each other but I want to make sure I can take a hit."

She figured that she was taking it more seriously than any of them expected but she couldn't help it. It was an exciting and useful skill and Vivi didn't want to carry a blade if she had the slightest reason to think that it could be used against her. Or that she had no chance of using it at all. 

Zoro nodded and handed her back the blades that she had dropped. "Again then?"

She nodded and readied herself once more.

Ace narrowed his eyes at them and spoke. "Begin."

This time she side stepped when he advanced but when she raised her arm to attack she felt the flat of Zoro's blade slide across her arm and push it down. Her dagger fell to the dirt a second later.

Gritting her teeth, Vivi twisted and raised her other hand in an attempt to land a hit but once again found herself laying on the ground with a sword at her throat.

"That was a lot better Vivi!" Usopp praised.

She took Zoro's hand and rose to her feet. 

"Did that hurt?" Sabo asked, curiosity flickering across his face.

She shook her head. "It wasn't that bad." She nodded to the swordsman. "Let's do this again."

Zoro was all to happy to comply. 

They went through attacks again and again and Vivi ended up in the dirt each time. But no matter how many times she crashed to the ground or felt a blade against her throat she came up grinning. 

Her adrenaline was pumping and her mind was focused. This was almost better than dancing.

"How many times are you going to beat her up?" Sanji demanded. 

Zoro glared at him. "I'm not beating her up and she's doing fine."

She was in fact getting better each time. The two of them would clash blades a few times and their exchanges lasted a bit longer. Although she wouldn't say that she wasn't getting beat up. Vivi could feel the beginning ache of bruises across her whole body. The pain made her glad she had at least stretched before hand. 

They had been at it long enough that side conversations sprung up around them but no one ever spoke loud enough to interrupt or distract them from their sparring. 

"A few more times?" She prompted.

"You said that a few more times ago." Zoro replied with a look of approval.

Nami rose from the ground and stretched towards the sky. "Dinner will be ready soon so you better finish before then or there won't be anything left."

The thought of food was a very distracting one and Vivi licked her lips. "Hmm, one more time then?" She asked. "I could eat a feast."

"One more time." He agreed.

For the last time Zoro pulled Vivi to her feet but she was beaming. This time she'd kept hold of both her knives.

"Not bad." He told her and that felt like the best compliment she had ever received. 

**The Fire Dancer Ace:**

_'Years.'_

He could never get Sabo's response out of his head when the Prince was around. Over the past few days they had interacted with each other as if their exchange in Law's tent never happened. Ace had followed Sabo's lead, wondering about why he had disappeared that night but not pressing him about it. Nothing felt awkward between them. They still talked and laughed and spent time together as they had before. There were two things different though. They hadn't done any more fire dancing and Ace was sure that he wasn't the only one who felt the pull that was now between them.

When they were together, though it was still comfortable, he felt that there needed to be something more going on. Ace would watch when Sabo interacted with the others, trying to figure out why he felt that way and when he spoke to him, he would try to see if there was any way to see if Sabo felt it too.

So far he only felt uncertainty about it all and unfortunately it wasn't the only thing that bothered him.

Teach had let them linger too long in one place. It wasn't uncommon for them to take slight detours or breaks in traveling to avoid storms or threats ahead of them but they had been in the same small grove for three days.

Three days was more than enough time to avoid a group of men traveling quickly southward on horses. They had to walk, had wagons and a large group of people. There was no chance of the circus running into any foreseen trouble ahead. 

The only thing Ace could think of was that Teach was waiting for something and he had no idea what. Sanji said the man had been in a good mood and from what Ace had seen from watching Teach and his men from afar, they were all in good moods. 

The stress of wondering what Teach was up to along with thoughts of Sabo had lead Ace to be on edge and tense. 

"Ace." 

He jumped, nearly spilling his plate of food.

"What's on your mind?" A dusty blue haired Princess asked him.

He placed the plate safely on the ground beside him and glanced around the campfire. "I don't like staying here this long." He said, deciding it would only stress him out more if he tried to lie about it. 

Vivi seemed to agree. "I thought it was strange. Nami has been going stir crazy." Her violet eyes landed on the Escape Artist. "I know she likes to relax but she enjoys new things too."

Ace started eating before the food could grow any colder. "Luffy has been driving me crazy."

She laughed pleasantly. "I noticed. I also noticed that he has an interesting way with people."

He paused mid chew to glance at his brother. He had grown a lot closer with Sabo over their time in the grove and was chatting away with him now. "It's sort of hard to explain but he makes people...better I guess."

"He does." Vivi wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees. "Ugh, I'm exhausted."

"I bet! Why did you push yourself so hard?" He wondered.

She lifted her head a little so she could glance around. The only person close enough to overhear them was Brook, but he was plucking away at his violin, lost in thought. 

Vivi deeply pondered something and then spoke. "Growing up...everything was done for me. My food was made, my clothes and my schedule for the day." She closed her eyes as she continued, as if reliving the moments she spoke of. "I was protected by others, most of whom I never saw or knew existed. I felt...helpless a lot." Vivi opened her eyes and stared into his. "I felt like I couldn't do anything for myself so when I realized I might be decent at protecting myself I couldn't help taking it as seriously as I could."

He stayed silent for a moment. Ace had never given much thought to the other runaway in the Circus. He hadn't considered how her life had lead her to make the same choice Sabo did. He didn't wonder what she had felt or thought about their arranged marriage. What similarities or differences she had with Sabo. 

"Thank you." Ace said abruptly. "For sharing that with me."

She frowned at him, confused but nodded. "Sabo told me you knew who we were."

"He did but...I never really thought much about you." He looked up at the stars. "I'm sorry."

To his surprise, she laughed. "You have nothing to be sorry about it. Besides, I can't blame you for being distracted. I've seen the way you two look at each other."

Ace shot her a look of disbelief. "Not sure what you mean."

Vivi smiled. "Alright. I'll let you _think_ you've kept your secret."

He found himself laughing. "I'll keep yours if you keep mine."

"Deal." She grinned.

On their left Brook began to play a low tune that meshed well with the nighttime conversations. Robin rested her head on Franky's shoulder as the man continued talking with Usopp. Luffy and Sabo were engaged in some intense conversation and the sight made Ace smile to himself. Nami and Nojiko were busy teasing Sanji and Zoro glowered at the three of them from across the fire. Apoo was humming along with Brook's tune, his hands inching towards the small drum that followed him everywhere and Law sat quietly, fiddling with some supposed magic charm.

All together it was a relaxing night and Ace tried to ease himself into it too. He didn't think he managed but it took him a long time before he realized someone was shouting in the distance.

Raising his head to the tree line he saw that he wasn't the only one who had noticed. Franky and Zoro were staring into the dark foliage, concern on their faces. 

Ace strained his ears, searching for the sound. 

"So!" He thought he heard and he squinted as if that could help focus his ears.

"Sabo!" The voice cried.

Ace jumped to his feet, his eyes locking onto Sabo's who had done the same. The circle went silent, everyone straining to hear the voice again. 

"Sabo!" It cried again. It was definitely female and whoever it was was sounded afraid. 

Sabo's eyes grew wide and he scanned the trees wildly. "Koala!" He shouted back. "Koala!"

The racing of hooves sounded through the trees and suddenly a black horse exploded from the forest. The rider was round faced and out of breath. The woman had short hair colored somewhere between Sabo's and Nami's. She had a fierce look on her face and she reined the horse in quickly to avoid galloping right into their fire. 

The circle was frozen and only a few voiced questions and exclamations. 

Sabo was at Koala's side in an instant, throwing his arms around her the moment she slid from the saddle. "I was so worried."

She nodded, holding him close. "I know." She stepped back and looked up at him, placing gloved hands on either side of his face. "I know. I missed you too but I need you to listen to me."

Ace's heart skipped a beat with fear, recognizing the intense look in the woman's eyes.

"The Guard. They're almost here." She kept her hands around Sabo's face, ensuring that he heard every word. "Maybe a mile behind me. Forces from Goa and Alabasta. Someone told them you were here. They're coming to take you back and kill anyone who tries to stop them." 

The group held it's breath, everyone thinking the same thing at the same time. What the hell was going on?

Ace felt everything fall into place the second she stopped speaking. He knew why they had spent so much time in one place and why Teach was in such a good mood. 

Ace took one deep breath like it would calm him and then something inside him snapped.


	18. Up In Flames

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, sorry for the long wait but I'm back!  
> I worry people will lose interest when I need to take a break, so thank you for your patience and continuous reading and responses.  
> Please enjoy this chapter!  
> ~ Wonder

Vivi:

She was frozen. The shock of what had been spoken aloud kept her still. This place of peace and freedom felt distant now. Like it had all been some dream and it was time to wake up.

It would slip through her fingers. She'd never get to spar with someone again. She would never get to dance the night away how she wanted. She would never get to know Nami any better.

There was a commotion around her. People shouting questions and demanding answers. Would she see these people again? Vivi figured that she wouldn't, except of course for Sabo.

She stared into the fire numbly. It seemed they would be married after all...

"Ace!"

The shouts around her finally broke through her spiral of emotions and Vivi rose to her feet to look around.

Ace was stalking off towards the tents and Law was shouting after him.

"Ace! Don't-!"

Luffy interrupted him. "What's wrong? He's just going to talk to Teach! Maybe he can get him to talk to the guards or something."

Across from them Brook was shaking his head. "These guards do not want to talk." He said grimly, the firelight casting eerie shadows over his skeletal face.

Law looked torn, standing between the fire and the direction Ace walked off to. "I have to stop him." He muttered.

Luffy stared at him with confusion and suspicion. "But why?" He looked at Law hard, a serious gleam in his eye.

"He-" The Witch Doctor stared back at Luffy and caved. "Because Teach wants Ace dead."

A ripple passed over the group as each reacted to the news.

"How could you know that?" Robin demanded.

Sabo who had been frozen in his own shock finally moved. "He what?!"

Luffy said nothing. He looked into Law's eyes, searching for something. And then he bolted.

"Luffy!" Law abandoned them, racing after the Contortionist and his brother.

"What the hell is going on?!" Usopp cried. "Who are you?!"

The woman with the horse- Vivi recognized her as a maid from Goa- jumped slightly. "I'm...a friend of Sabo's." She looked at each person around the fire. "This threat is real. I'm not sure if not resisting will save you and your circus or only make it worse."

"Why are guards coming here in the first place?" Sanji asked, pacing before the flames.

The group turned to where Sabo had been standing just moments ago. The spot was now empty.

The maid Koala gasped. "Sabo?" She looked around wildly. "What are you doing?!" She called, noticing him running towards the tents.

"I have to help Ace!" He shouted back.

Nami rose to her feet slowly. "What I want to know what exactly Sabo did that caused two of the biggest countries to send soldiers after him!"

Vivi shook her head. "It...it's not just him..."

Koala's eyes flashed to her face and then grew wide. "I didn't notice that was you but I figured you had to be here!"

Nami and the others glanced between the two women.

"The King nearly lost it when he heard the Prince and the Princess went missing!"

There was a stretch of silence. Vivi could feel her heart hammering in her chest.

"Hold on. Prince? Princess?" Franky stared at her.

Beautiful brown eyes looked straight at Vivi. "What does she mean?" Nami asked.

It took everything within her not to shake. "The guard isn't after us because we're criminals." Vivi explained softly. "They're after us because we ran away." She clenched her hands at her sides. "He's Sabo Overlook, the Prince of Goa and I'm Vivi Nefertari...the Princess of Alabasta."

There was more silence and then the sound of men in the distance broke it.

Brook picked up a slender cane that Vivi hadn't noticed before and tossed one of Zoro's swords to the Sword Swallower. "We must be ready."

Robin jumped to her feet and grabbed Franky's hand. "Come with me. We must warn the others."

The man nodded and the two rushed off together. "Maybe you can make them think twice about bothering us." Vivi heard Franky say before they were out of hearing range.

"Wait. What are you doing?" She asked, dizzy with confusion.

"We're defending our home, despite the circumstances." Nami said as she helped Nojiko to her feet. "And I'm not going to let you get taken back to what you tried to run from."

"But-"

"Are you sure they're looking for a fight?" Sanji asked Koala.

"There is no chance I am letting them take Sabo away from his freedom." She said fiercely. "And I'm sure the Princess feels the same for herself."

"Vivi." Vivi said.

Koala nodded. "Vivi."

"This will be fun." Zoro said with a grin.

Usopp shook his head. "Dangerous. You mean dangerous."

"Be careful." Sanji grumbled and walked over to the sisters. "Come with me. You too Vivi and Koala was it?"

She nodded.

"Zoro, Brook and Robin can handle it here. Usopp you find Franky and help him." He continued eyeing the tree line. "Something tells me the others will need our help with Teach."

It was amazing to her. How easily they jumped into action to protect their way of life even though attacking Royal Guards could be a death sentence. Even though none of this conflict was any of their faults.

Sanji gestured quickly. "Come on."

"Wait!" Usopp rushed to Vivi's side. "You'll need these. " He said and he pressed two daggers into her hands.

The Fire Dancer Ace:

His whole being trembled. He was furious, livid, angry. Angry with Teach. Angry with himself. Angry at the guards. He should have seen this coming it had been so obvious! 

Burgess, grinning his stupid -and in this moment infuriating- grin stood outside Teach's tent along with the wide eyed, wide mouthed Laffitte. 

"He's expecting you." Burgess told him, clearly unfazed by the dark expression and anger on Ace's face.

"Then he should also know that he won't get away with this." Ace spat, stalking between the two of them. It had occurred to him that he was most likely walking into a trap. He just didn't give a damn right now.

"Careful Ace." Laffitte warned as he passed by the Mime.

Ace shoved the canvas tent open and there he found Teach. He was sitting calmly behind his small table, placing a large sum of berries into a small box. The sight was almost enough to make Ace throw punches now and get explanations later.

"You greedy son of a bitch." He blurted out, hands already in tense fists. "They're already here?!"

"Ace." Teach commented without looking up from his task. "I thought that would be you."

"How could you do this?!" Ace demanded, striding right up to the table to yell at him.

There was an unpleasant gleam in the man's dark eyes. "You are in no position to demand such a thing Ace." Teach said sinisterly. "You have undermined my authority, kept secrets and lied to me for days now." The man rose to his feet, closing the lid on the small fortune as he did. 

Ace adjusted his gaze so he could still glare up at the man. "I didn't endanger the safety of the entire group for my own selfishness!"

"Didn't you?" Teach countered with a cruel smile. "You knew what those two were and the risk but you took them in anyway."

Ace shook his head. "This is supposed to be a safe place for people to find a home!" He slammed his hand on the table, making the berries clink in their box. "It shouldn't matter where they come from! Whitebeard-"

"Whitebeard is dead!" Teach roared, his own anger making itself present. "It's about damn time you accept that Ace! This is no longer his circus!"

His anger had been swirling, a chaotic torrent of rage almost. Now it seemed to slow as he found something to else to focus on. With a measured voice Ace managed to speak calmly. "What did you say?"

The Witch Doctor Law:

He'd only had a few extra steps ahead but Luffy was fast. Law raced behind him, grabbing his sword on the way. A fight was inevitable at this point, whether it be with the guards or Teach and his men and Law was more than eager to finally have everything out in the open.

What he didn't expect were there to be guards in the camp already. 

As he passed by one of the personal tents a man suddenly emerged, clothed in armor and wielding a sword. He barely had a moment to side step the swing and draw his own weapon before the guard swung again. 

Irritated by the mans sudden attack and that he had been caught off guard, Law tried to deal with it quickly. It had looked as though Luffy made it to Teach's tent without encountering any guards but that wasn't enough to calm his nerves. 

The man jabbed at him again and Law blocked, twisted and smashed the hilt of his sword into the mans head. The guard collapsed to the ground in a heap which he quickly jumped over and continued to race after Luffy.

Throughout the camp sounds of fighting could be heard and firelight illuminated the tents. He cursed as he ran, wishing he could be in more than one place. The sounds of horses came from the tree line but before they could come any closer a dim burst of light filled the night and screams followed.

Law's stress lessened a bit then. They could always count on Robin to draw or drive away a crowd. 

"I SAID! LET ME IN!"

Law rounded the corner just in time to see Luffy throw himself at the hulking form of Burgess. Burgess, hardly batting an eye at Contortionist, took the hit before landing one of his own.

Law sensed the bones crack as the fist made contact and threw Luffy into a nearby tent. He felt the bones break with the second impact when the Contortionist hit the ground and was buried beneath tent poles and canvas.

Anger and concern were the first emotions to hit him but all of it was overpowered by the stifling, frustrating thought that crossed his mind. 

Of course he charged in and got hurt.

If it hadn't been for the guard Law could have arrived before Luffy decided to throw himself at the biggest man in the circus, but of course he hadn't. The Witch Doctor, ignoring the Strong Man for now, headed straight for the struggling form of Luffy. He'd made it about ten feet however when Laffitte stepped into his path, cane twisting in his hand.

"Trafalgar." He said with a smile. "We both know it's impolite to interrupt a private conversation." Laffitte raised the metal cane between them. "Or to interrupt someone else's fight."

From the corner of his eye, Law spotted Burgess making his way to Luffy who was still very much tangled in the collapsed tent.

Law fixed his yellow eyes on the Mime. "And we also know that it's unwise to start a fight with someone you have no hope of defeating."

Laffitte's smile grew. "We shall see." And then he lunged.

The Knife Thrower Usopp:

It was chaos. The guards were everywhere and as Brook said, they didn't want to talk. Usopp knew this because he had tried talking.

"Usopp!" Franky was running towards him with a barrel over one shoulder. "Help me douse the tents!"

Usopp stared at him. "They're going to burn our camp down?!" He ran up to the large man frantically. 

"I hope not." Franky said grimly. 

"Well, it's a good thing Robin scared them off then, isn't it?" He said, stabbing into the barrel.

Franky lifted the barrel and began pouring it over the nearest tent. "Not all of them."

The Fire Dancer Ace:

"I have had to hear about that man every day since his death!" Teach exclaimed. "I thought that I'd finally be free of him when he died but no one here could let him! Especially you."

Ace shook his head. "What are you saying?" He breathed.

Something crashed outside and the sound of fighting crept into the tent but Ace couldn't focus on anything beyond Teach. 

"What are you saying?" He repeated.

Teach watched him closely. "What do you want me to say Ace? That I enjoyed being partners with Whitebeard? That I liked standing in his shadow even though I worked harder than him!?"

Ace trembled with newfound fury. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" He demanded, stepping away from the man he realized he had never known.

Laughter filled the air. "Oh Ace you're so predictable! Such a temper! Yes, to put it simply I got rid of the old man."

It was like the wind had been knocked out of him. Ace couldn't catch his breath. He had grown up with this man, shared meals with this man and laughed with him! There had even been a time he had looked up to him!

He stumbled away once more and then the confession hit him. The rage melted into something else, something that blinded him. Overwhelmed, he felt it build until it demanded a release. 

He took a step forward. "You-"

"That would be a bad idea." Teach said and reached out and touched his shoulder. 

Everything vanished. The anger and rage. The hurt and disbelief. Even the air left his lungs. Ace's body jolted and he almost fell to his knees. He gripped the table, gasping for air, mind spinning. 

What just happened?

"When I heard what you had done I wanted to end you that day. But Laffitte stayed my hand, reminding me that in certain circumstances patience pays off."

Ace gasped, taking a clear breath.

"With the two royals returned I could finally get what I wanted and leave this disgusting place." Teach laid another hand on Ace's shoulder but nothing happened this time. "And I can finally get rid of you."

Ace wanted to shake off his hand and push him away but he could hardly stand. "You're- you have-"

Teach grinned, revealing the lack of teeth rather than the presence of them. "I am devil touched. And before you ask, yes that is how I killed Whitebeard and Marco."

Ace's legs gave out but Teach caught him, throwing his arm over his shoulder.

"But not in the way you think. I poisoned the old man, another example of patience paying off. It was worth watching." He mused, jostling Ace as if they were making jokes and having a good time together. "And every time Law tried to heal him I took his magic. The effect of it anyway."

Another wave of nothingness crashed over Ace, making his limbs heavy. 

Teach glanced at him. "I kept this place running for profit and it can't give me anything more." He released Ace, letting him fall to the ground. "So it's time I end this."

Sabo:

He lost sight of Law when the guards spotted him. They ran towards him shouting, calling him to safety. He hated the sound. Each exclamation was a lure, something that wanted to drag him back and keep him captive. 

Sabo had to dive through the tents and wagons to avoid them, all the while trying to get to Teach's tent and Ace. As he ran he saw Usopp throwing knives along side Franky who he saw throw a barrel at a guard. 

At first he couldn't believe what Law had said but the conversation he had with Ace during the storm suddenly made more sense. Ace mentioned not wanting anyone else to possibly get hurt and now he understood why. Sabo only wished he had known sooner.

A bright light blazed suddenly and Sabo nearly tripped, trying to avoid a burning wagon. He scanned the area and saw multiple tents on fire, the smoke clouding the dark sky. 

Everything was suddenly falling apart. 

He thought back to everything that led to this. Every truth, lie and story he'd told to find a place here. The circus was to be his greatest freedom and his new home. He never expected it to end like this.

Blinking through the smoke and fighting against his fear of the flames that surrounded him, he raced to the tent, hell bent on saving his freedom. On saving his new home and the one person he never dreamed he'd be lucky enough to fall in love with.


	19. Vivi's Ultimatum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was under the impression that the map had been posted on another chapter but I just realized that it wasn't so I've put it on this one. Sorry for the confusion! I'll restate what I originally said about the map.  
> It's not exactly to scale, the distances aren't 100% accurate but I wanted to give readers a better understanding of how this world is set up.  
> Most of these places will most likely not be visited or only be mentioned but I hope it adds to the realness of the world. Of course there are hundreds of towns, cities, villages, forests and such that aren't on this map but that's because I don't know where I want everything to be until I get there. 
> 
> Enjoy this chapter! This is the end of the first arc of this story and I'm excited to have it finished! I hope you guys have enjoyed it and continue to like the next one I have planned!  
> ~ Wonder

**The Escape Artist Nami:**

Smoke was beginning to fill the air, making it difficult to breath as she ran. The woman Koala had gotten separated from their group, as did Sanji when he slowed to fight off a few guards. Despite the situation and the danger, it had been amusing to see the surprise on Vivi's face when Sanji kicked the first one hard enough to knock him out immediately.

"Come this way!" Nojiko called from ahead.

Vivi, clutching the daggers Usopp had handed her and looking as beautiful as ever twisted towards Nami. "Where are we supposed to be going?!" 

Nami fought off another torrent of disbelief as she looked at Vivi. _Princess_ , she had said. The Princess of Alabasta. Nami had thought that she had to be from somewhere grand and she had been right. 

"Nami?!" Vivi shouted as they ran past a flaming crate.

Nami cleared her thoughts. "We're trying to get to an easily defendable position!"

Vivi shook her head. "Nami, they'll burn this place to the ground." Anger and sadness flashed over her face.

"We can always buy more supplies." Nami said, focusing on their path ahead. "As long as everyone is okay, we'll make it through this." She didn't have to look at Vivi to know she had started to apologize. "Everyone's past catches up with them eventually." Nami said simply. "No one is going to blame you."

They slowed, catching up to Nojiko and paused as they reached a more central area of the camp. 

"That doesn't change the facts." Vivi said grimly, her violet eyes gleaming in the firelight.

**Sabo:**

The heat was spreading, filling the air with disorienting waves. He rounded a corner and slid to a halt. He knew he had made it to the right place because he saw circus members fighting each other.

There was Law, fighting off a pale man dressed in stripes. Both were fierce and moving faster than Sabo could follow. Behind them he could see the huge Strong Man. He had a nasty looking black eye but looked a lot better than Luffy, who the man was holding by the neck with one hand.

Heart skipping a beat at the sight, Sabo charged forwards before he could think about what he was going to do. As he ran he searched wildly for something that could help him and spotted the remains of a collapsed tent. Quickly grabbing one of the metal poles, he clutched it tightly and aimed for the back of the man's head. 

Hands wrapped around him before he could make it, pulling Sabo away from the Strong Man. From Luffy. From Ace.

"We got you sire!" Voices shouted. "We have the Prince!"

He struggled, pulling on the arms that dragged him away. "Let go!" He screamed, losing sight of Luffy, Law and the tent. "I have to help them!" The pole was knocked out of his hand and he thrashed. "I have to help them!"

Desperate fury and crushing defeat fell over him and Sabo cursed, his sight blurring with frustrated tears. He hadn't made it this far or this long for it to end now! He couldn't go back. With frightening clarity Sabo realized that he wouldn't survive going back. There was no way he could live like that anymore. And he couldn't let Ace and Luffy die.

Sabo wrenched his right arm as hard as he could and the guard's grip slipped. Heart pounding he tried again, pulling hard. The grip loosened once more, someone grunted behind him and suddenly he was laying on the ground.

Sabo blinked, briefly blinded by a cloud of dust and made out a face above him.

"I'm not letting them take you back." Koala said with a scary look on her face. "Now get up. I'll help the Contortionist, you get that Fire Dancer of yours."

**The Fire Dancer Ace:**

He hated that he had been wrong but it was true. He needed help if he was going to stop Teach. Ace had been convinced that he could handle it on his own but he couldn't. And he hated that too.

Teach was busy packing, at least that was what Ace assumed he was doing. He was still weighed down, the lack of energy making it difficult to even breathe and it was hard to see the man from his spot on the ground. 

He heard shouting outside the tent, and Law call Luffy's name. He had really caused this hadn't he? He put everyone he cared about in danger because of his selfishness. Teach was right, he knew what he had been doing and he had done it anyway. And now Sabo and Vivi would be taken away from the lives they wanted and Ace's family could be killed in the process. Ace tried to push past the nothingness and bring life back into his limbs. He couldn't let everyone else pay for his mistake. 

He was near the table and could see the knife from Teach's breakfast laying under it. It appeared to have slipped off when Ace fell into the table. He struggled to move his arm, the effort taking every ounce of his strength. 

His hand slid through the grass and dirt slowly and Ace kept his eyes on Teach's boots. He was hoping that Teach's magic was like Robin's and Law's. That he needed to have an element of focus whenever he used it. If so, Ace also hoped that a distraction would be enough to free him from his paralyzed state. 

"Nothing left to say, Ace?" The man asked, completely unfazed by the shouts and smoke from beyond the tent. "I didn't expect you to go quietly."

Ace ignored him, straining his fingers. They touched the handle of the thin blade but they wouldn't grasp it.

"It takes a lot of energy to dampen a person's magic but I've managed it for years."

The handle slid into his palm, his fingers wrapping around it. Ace's gaze flickered to Teach's boots again. They were coming closer as he made his way around the table. He forced his fingers to clench the knife as tightly as possible and fought with the rest of his body. It had to be now, before he rounded the corner! 

Teach's foot fell a step closer and Ace threw his body into motion, driving the knife straight down into his foot. 

The man roared and Ace rose to his feet, the heaviness vanishing. Taking advantage of the distraction Ace clenched his fist and swung. His hand connected with Teach's face and pain bloomed in his knuckles. 

The man stumbled, catching himself before he fell. Teach knelt, head bowed with pain over his foot. Ace knew that he had little time before he was paralyzed again and raised his fist, deciding to knock the man out but the tent was torn open. 

Covered in dust and looking furious, Sabo burst into the tent behind Teach, wielding a metal tent pole. His bright eyes found Ace's but as he opened his mouth to speak Teach lumbered to his feet between them and buried the knife deep into Ace's stomach. 

**Vivi:**

She was beginning to see a pattern. The guards from Goa were eager to clash with others, wielding their weapons and tearing through the circus. The Alabastan Guard worked around them, searching and tearing open tents but not seeking out a fight with others. 

Even so, she felt no better about the situation and kept taking cover behind the others to avoid being recognized. She held onto a bit of canvas around her neck to keep it covering her hair. By this point the majority of their group was gathered, fighting off guards and the Circus Head's men. 

Sanji and Koala were busy fighting off Burgess while Brook and Zoro fought off the armored guards that were quickly surrounding them. Robin and Franky were nowhere in sight but Nami and Nojiko were nearby with Usopp, trying to take down another one of Teach's men who was swinging a large scythe around. 

Vivi had been helping wherever she could but was quickly feeling more and more helpless. Law was knelt over an unconscious Luffy, his hands stretched over his body as he muttered something she couldn't hear. 

She had to stop this before anyone else got hurt. Before she lost the people she had started to care deeply about. 

Vivi studied the area. It was brightly illuminated by the burning tents and wagons and a thought struck her. She moved through the fighting, careful not to be crushed by Burgess as he finally fell to the ground unconscious. It was strange to see how well the circus members fought but not altogether surprising. She was glad because it meant they could get through this. 

Vivi jumped over a flaming barrel and landed exactly where she wanted. She considered her options as she turned to face the mayhem. She had to catch their attention. It had to be dramatic and she had to be committed. 

The canvas drifted to the ground and Vivi shook out her long bright hair. She thought of her father briefly before raising the knives to her throat. She was glad he wouldn't have to see this.

Vivi took a deep breath and screamed. "STOP!"

No one seemed to hear her.

"STOP!" She cried, hands shaking. "I SAID STOP!" She screamed with everything she had, her voice tearing through her throat.

Heads turned her way, guards and circus member alike. Gasps filled the air and to her relief, the fighting stopped.

"Princess! What are you doing?!" Guards cried out, watching her fearfully.

Nami stared at her with wide eyes. "Vivi..."

A tent burned behind the wagon she had decided to stand on, making it the brightest thing in the center of the fighting. The heat beat against her back but Vivi didn't budge. She held the knives crossed to her throat and gazed at the guards with determination.

"Stop this fighting." She said. "Or I will end your reason for conflict."

**Sabo:**

He saw him fall, shock on his face as he did. Ace's hands were wrapped around the handle sticking from his stomach and blood began to cover them. 

Sabo then looked to the man responsible, the one who must have told the guards where they were and waited for them here. He had never hated anyone more in that moment. 

Sabo swung, cracking the pole into his head. 

The man stumbled and cursed. "Damn you both!" Teach shouted and turned, grabbing the pole and pulling Sabo close. "Enjoy watching him die!" He spat and hit Sabo square in the face.

**Vivi:**

"Princess, don't be rash!"

She shook her head. "I am done being a Princess. I am not going back and neither is the Prince." Vivi felt awkward speaking for Sabo but she had no idea where he was at the moment. "And if you try to force us now or continue to harm innocent people I will pull these blades across my throat."

She tried to ignore Nami's gaze but it was hard to. 

"This is no bluff."

"Stand down!" A familiar voice declared. "Do not make a move!" The man pushed his way through the guards and came to a stop before her. He looked sad, heartbroken. "Princess." He said softly.

Vivi took a trembling breath. "Pell." A series of emotions tore through her. Happiness, sorrow, fear, determination. She cleared her throat, trying to get the words out. "I have a proposition."

He nodded respectfully, his robes shifting slightly. "I will hear it."

"The Prince and Princess are dead." She said loudly. "They were kidnapped by thieves and killed in their attempt to escape. The Guard of Alabasta and Goa discovered their burned bodies and had to kill those responsible when they were attacked. It was a tragedy."

"Princess-"

"Vivi." She insisted.

Pell paused. "Vivi. Do you wish this so badly that you would truly die by your own hand to make it happen?"

She willed her hands to stop shaking. "This is where I want to be. Not married off to a Prince."

He watched her solemnly. "Could you not even bear it at home?"

Vivi viciously blinked away the tears in her eyes. "I'm staying here, with these people. Please-"

"We don't listen to Alabastans!" A guard shouted from the Goa force. 

Pell stiffened and turned to speak but hoofbeats and another voice interrupted.

"Stand down immediately!" A man shouted, riding a horse right into the middle of things. He had long flowing grey hair and an equally grey mustache. "Who is in charge here?!" He demanded, dismounting and marching straight up to the Goa guards.

Vivi watched the exchange with surprise, the grip on her knives faultering.

"I-I am General Hack." A man declared, stepping forward. "Captain Campt, sir."

The man Hack strode over to him. "Captain Campt. Why has this camp been set on fire?"

The Captain blinked rapidly. "The circus folk. They stood in opposition-"

"Take your men and start putting these fires out!" Hack commanded. "Now!"

The men jumped and began to scatter, seeking out the blazes. 

Hack turned to Pell and Vivi. "Princess, please take those dreadful things from your neck. We will discuss this but first, where is the Prince?"

**Sabo:**

When Sabo came to Teach was gone. He groaned and struggled to his feet, tripping over to Ace where he collapsed on his knees beside him. 

"Ace?" Sabo touched his face, expecting his eyes to open and meet the grey even gaze. The Fire Dancer didn't move. "Ace?" He glanced at the wound and the blood on the ground with fear. "Ace? Open your eyes!"

There was movement by the tent entrance but Sabo ignored it. 

"Ace!" He shook him, searching for any sign of life. "Open your eyes!"

"Yelling at him isn't going to help." Law said, crouching on the other side of him.

Sabo jumped and stared at the Witch Doctor. "He's alive?!"

Law carefully removed the knife and closed his eyes. "Yes, now I have to keep him that way."

"What-"

"You need to go outside." Law said, his face growing pale with fatigue.

Sabo shook his head. "No I-"

Yellow eyes glared into his with a frightening intensity. "Ace will be fine, I am the only one who can help him right now. _Go outside."_

Sabo glanced at the too still Fire Dancer.

 _"Go._ And be careful not to fall over. You have a head injury." Law muttered, closing his eyes again.

Sabo rose shakily to his feet and pushed through the flap. He had been expecting fighting, smoke and fires but as he looked around he saw no flames and no fighting. 

"They're over there." Sabo glanced down to see Luffy laying on the ground, wrapped in a few bandages.

"Luffy!" Sabo couldn't help but to smile. "You're alright."

Luffy frowned. "I didn't get to do anything helpful." His eyes light up. "Is Ace okay?"

Sabo's smile faded. "Yeah...Law is with him now. He said he can help him."

To his surprise Luffy looked unconcerned. "Torao is good at helping people. Ace will be fine." He straightened, sat up and grimaced. "They're waiting for you." He said, pointing to a group of figures off to the right.

Sabo followed his direction and his heart skipped a beat. "What's going on?" He asked, fearing the worst.

Luffy shrugged. "Vivi convinced them to let you stay I think. But they want to talk to you."

He had a hard time believing what Luffy said. "She did?" He breathed, making his way to the three figures.

Vivi told him what the story would be and after a long discussion and convincing, Hack and Pell agreed. 

"Only to save your life." Hack told him. "Before she left to meet you do doubt, Koala made me realize that I could not watch you return only to be truly lost."

Sabo, not knowing what to say, changed the subject. "Will these men keep the truth hidden from the King?"

A harsh look crossed the General's face. "They will listen to me. I vowed to serve the King and Queen of Goa but I vowed to serve Goa first and I believe it would only hurt the country for you to be forced back into the Kingdom."

"Hack-"

"None of that Sabo." The man said, dropping his title for the first time. "You're a good man." He rested a hand on Sabo's shoulder briefly and then turn to the men and left.

The Alabastan Guard remained as Vivi conversed quietly with Pell. Feeling calmer than he'd ever felt and dizzy with disbelief, Sabo turned away and headed back to Ace. He found Law inside the tent, still focused on the wound. The Witch Doctor looked haggard and was breathing heavily. 

Sabo hurried to Ace's side and looked at the two of them worriedly. "Are you alright?" He asked nervously. 

Law ignored his question. "He should have woken up by now."

"What?!" Sabo turned to Ace, leaning over him. 

"Teach must have done something to weaken him." Law struggled to say. "Speaking of Teach, where is he?"

Sabo stared at Ace, willing his eyes to open. "I don't know. When I woke up he was gone." He would be okay like Luffy said. His eyes would open and everything would be fine. Sabo closed his eyes and rested his forehead on Ace's. "Come on, open your eyes."

He didn't know how long they stayed like that, Law whispering to himself occasionally and Sabo, eyes closed and waiting for Ace to wake. The others had inquired about them, coming inside to see what was wrong but Law had sent them all away. 

"Come on Ace." Sabo whispered. "Open your-" Something soft pressed against his lips and it took Sabo a moment to realize Ace was kissing him. He opened his eyes with shock but Ace's were still closed. He was so caught off guard he did the only thing he could. He kissed him back.


	20. Interlude: Results of Freedom

**Sabo:**

The days had quickly grown warmer, the sunlight lulling one to relax in the heat. With the total freedom from his title, everything around him seemed to change. The air smelled more fresh and the days had slowed down. He had found his place. His true home. He was surrounded by people he cared about and loved, who cared and loved him back. 

A weight had lifted from him, one he thought he'd never truly be free of. There was no looking back now, everything was ahead of him. 

"Still think you're dreaming?" Koala's voice asked.

A gentle breeze drifted over the two of them and Sabo tilted his head towards her. "I think I've finally managed to recognize this as reality." He admitted with a smile.

There was a beat of silence and the warm wind traveled through the grass. The green leaves above trembled with the blades below. 

"It's about time you made it here." She said softly. 

"You too." Sabo said. "If here is where you want to be."

Koala sat up from the grass and looked down at him. "You know I didn't mean _here_."

He nodded. "I do know, but I you know that _I_ meant here."

She studied him briefly and sighed, turning her gaze to the trees around them. "Hack saved my life by bringing me to the palace but," Koala took a breath. "You made it worth living."

Sabo started to speak but she shot him a glare, daring him to interrupt. 

"I'm staying with you." She told him. "You're my family."

Sabo sat up, a wave of relief falling over him. "Good." He said. "I don't know if I could handle it if you left. It's been hard enough without you here." Sabo spoke with a grin but they both knew how serious he was. 

Koala rolled her eyes at him anyway. "What's been difficult? You got that Fire Dancer in the palm of your hand."

His face flushed and he fought an embarrassed smile. "No I don't." He insisted.

She laughed to the trees and Sabo realized how much he had missed the sound. "He is as enamored with you as you are with him."

"You don't-"

"I do and you know it!" Koala declared.

"Hey guys!" Luffy suddenly emerged from the trees and bounded up to them. His chest was still wrapped with bandages and Sabo noticed that he had once again slipped his arm free of the sling it was supposed to be in. "They're back!" He told them, before bounding back towards the camp. 

"Speaking of Fire Dancers..." Koala commented as she rose to her feet. 

Sabo shook his head, exasperated and followed her back to the tents. 

The rest of the group was gathered in what was the center of their new campsite. They hadn't been there long, they had been traveling everyday since the fire and went through each town they could to earn coin. They had been lucky that Teach hadn't had the chance to pack up all the money the circus had, but he hadn't left much behind either. 

Many of the smaller acts and their performers had left after seeing the state their equipment was in. Ace had been disappointed to see the people go but he paid them what he could and they went on their way. 

The others stayed, bound together by more than money and work and while it had been a struggle so far, everyone was doing what they could to help get the circus back on it's feet. They had very little equipment left from the fire so those who didn't need a tent or large props to perform had been going into towns and earning what they could.

"How did you do?" Nami eagerly asked the group that was returning now.

Vivi, Apoo, Robin and Ace all wore varying expressions of success, lifting the mood of everyone present.

"We had nearly half the towns attention!" Apoo announced.

Vivi was nodding. "It seemed so! I think we made enough for the next few days actually."

Robin held up a small pouch. "Sanji, we were hoping you could go into the market later and replenish our food supplies."

Sanji nodded. "Of course."

"We might be able to get more money if we perform here again tomorrow." Sabo glanced to Ace when he spoke and his stomach flipped. They hadn't kissed since the night Teach and his men left the circus and Sabo hadn't been able to get it out of his head.

As he watched Ace, those grey eyes found their way to his and the Fire Dancer grinned. "Hey." Ace said, and walked over to him.

"Hey." Sabo cleared his throat and his thoughts. "Are you feeling any better today?" He spat out as the others continued talking.

Ace blinked, seriousness emerging on his face. "A bit." He frowned. "I think."

Curious, Koala stepped closer to the two of them. "Is it your wound?" She asked him. 

"No, Law has pretty much fixed that." Ace said. "I've been feeling a little off but I'll be fine. Have you given any thought to joining an act?" He asked, smoothly directing the attention off himself.

Not missing a beat, Koala nodded. "I have and I'm thinking I can be very useful helping out _behind_ the scenes."

"She's not too thrilled by the idea of being in front of so many people." Sabo added, giving her a knowing look. 

Ace nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, we can work with that."

"I was actually planning on helping Franky out with repairing some of the equipment today." She told them, sending her own knowing look at Sabo. "I'm going to go find him so we can get a head start."

She didn't wait for either of them to acknowledge this and raced away to find Franky.

"I thought she'd want to do something...more distanced from what she's always done." Ace said, watching her run off. 

Sabo shook his head. "I think the one thing she liked was being in the background of things at the palace. Besides, it _is_ different. She's choosing what she's doing, not being told."

"I'm glad she made it here safely." Ace said.

Glancing back at him Sabo agreed. "Me too."

Ace rocked back onto his heels. "I have to go help Robin with somethings, I'll come find you later?"

Sabo's heart sank but he nodded. The reason they hadn't kissed again, or rather talked about it, was because of how busy Ace had been, taking control of the circus and figuring out how to keep it running. He had also been more exhausted than usual, something Law attributed to the effect of Teach's magic so when he wasn't organizing, planning, performing or fixing things he was sleeping.

"Don't forget to practice." Ace reminded with a wink and rushed off much like Koala had. 

Sabo sighed, wanting to do as he said but it was never the same without him...

**Vivi:**

It had been days and her thoughts still lingered on the letter she sent with Pell. While she had made peace with her country believing her to be dead, the thought of putting her father through pain that he had no reason to feel was one she couldn't bear. The letter contained the truth, and the explanation that her father deserved. She had been very clear that she forced Pell to agree with her terms, although she didn't specify how.

It would be weeks before her father received the letter but she couldn't help wondering day after day what his reaction would be. 

"Vivi!" 

She jumped, shaken out of her thoughts. 

Nami rushed over and collapsed on the blanket beside her. The scent of oranges danced around the air with her arrival, a scent that Vivi had grown very fond of. "I had an idea for your new costume, once we get the materials of course."

Glad to be distracted, Vivi focused on the charcoal sketch. Nami had used a scrap of canvas from the remains of one of the many burned tents. "No skirt?" She asked.

"I heard you and Sanji talking about trapeze and the high wire." Nami said. "I figured you wanted to do that instead of dancing?"

"Oh!" Vivi, nodded. "Yes he and I came up with a few ideas. I didn't know anyone had heard." She said a bit sheepishly. "As for dancing, I think I'll always be doing that."

Nami smiled. "I was prepared for both." She revealed a second sketch on another piece of canvas. "Do you have any ideas for the color?" She asked, leaning closer to her.

Vivi's head spun. "Ah, orange?" She suggested with flushed cheeks.

"Hmm." Nami wrote the suggested color beside the drawing. "Maybe for the sleeves?" 

Vivi nodded absently. "Nami?"

Nami paused and turned towards her. "Yes?"

"Thank you." Vivi said softly, lost in her gaze.

She smiled. "What for?" Her head seemed to dip a little closer.

"For everything." Vivi said.

"Have any of you seen Franky- oh!"

Vivi jumped again, her head knocking into Nami's. "Ow!"

Koala stood across from them, an odd look on her face. "Hi, sorry."

Nami was shaking her head and rising to her feet. "Don't worry about it. And...I think Franky is with Usopp." She rubbed her forehead. "Not sure what they're doing though."

Koala nodded. "Thanks. Sorry again."

Vivi smiled at her and waved her concern away. "We were just going over costume designs."

Koala nodded. "I'll leave you to it."

Nami beamed at her and Vivi sighed. She really was hopeless.

**The Fire Dancer Ace:**

"Ace."

"Ace."

He shook his head. "Yes?"

Robin was watching him carefully. "Are you alright?"

He sighed, tired of the question but couldn't blame anyone for asking it. He was having a hard time focusing on anything and his body seemed to trembled constantly. "I'll be fine." He assured her, looking over the budget the two of them had finished creating. 

"That isn't what I asked."

Ace looked up from the table and into the eyes that never missed anything. "I wouldn't say that I'm feeling sick, I just don't feel like myself."

"Is it something on your mind?"

He shied away from the question. "It's probably just an effect of Teach's magic." He muttered, hatred in his voice.

"Perhaps." Robin said. "Have you seen Law about it?"

Ace nodded. "He says that there is nothing wrong with me. I just need rest."

"Now there's an idea." She said caustically. "How about you take the rest of the evening off, I'll finish up here."

He started to protest but one look from her silenced him completely. 

"Have a good night." She told him as he stepped out of the tent.

Ace took a deep breath, drawing in the evening air. It was beyond sunset but not completely dark. He tried to center himself, clear the thoughts that had been flying through his mind since the fire. 

At his side his hands shook slightly and he clenched them into fists. What was wrong with him? Why had he been feeling so strange? Irritation built up inside him and he frowned. Law said there was nothing wrong with him, so what was it? It wasn't like Law was wrong, at least not since Teach was gone anyway.

The thought brought on more irritation and he glared into the night. He hadn't been able to make Teach pay for what he had done. Instead, the man had gotten what he wanted, money and freedom from the circus. Ace hadn't even been able to deal with any of his men as they had all run off, presumably with Teach. 

Ace grumbled to himself, heading nowhere in particular as he walked. Not paying much attention to his surroundings, he suddenly found himself falling. He crashed onto the ground hard, the impact jarring the freshly healed wound from Teach's knife. He winced slightly before jumping to his feet and scoured the area for the source of his fall.

"Luffy?!" He exclaimed, his irritation bursting into anger when he spotted his little brother. "What are you doing?!" He shouted, his hands still in tight fists.

His brother, who was twisted in an unrecognizable shape on the ground, groaned. "I'm stuck." He muttered.

For some reason his simple response angered him more. "No shit! Law said no contorting, you idiot!" 

Luffy huffed with annoyance. "I'll be fine, you don't have to shout."

"Apparently I do! You don't seem to listen when someone tries talking to you!" Ace's hands shot down to the form that was Luffy and began pulling. "It's your own fault if you screw up your bones and all the work Law did to save your life!"

"Hey stop!" Luffy hollered as he became a normal shaped human again. "That hurts!"

"THAT'S WHY YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THIS!"

Luffy wrenched out of his grasp. "WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING?!"

Ace vision pulsed, everything inside him raging. "BECAUSE YOU PISSED ME OFF!"

Luffy glared at him, breathing heavily. "There's something wrong with you."

"Well according to the good doctor I'm perfectly fine!" Ace hissed. 

The anger was gone from his brother's face and Luffy marched up to him, his dark eyes staring into Ace's. "There's something different then." He said carefully. 

"UGH, Luffy what would you know about it?!" Ace spat and shoved him aside. "Leave me alone tonight, got it?!" He ordered and stalked off towards their tent.

He shoved the canvas aside and paced around the small space, the anger making him restless. What the hell was wrong with Luffy? Why couldn't he do a damn thing he was told?!

"For fucks sake!" He shouted at nothing and sat down on his hammock. He glared at the ground, his arms trembling. Footsteps approached the tent and he was about to tell off Luffy again when Sabo appeared.

"What's going on?" He asked, rushing over to him. "Ace?"

Ace blinked and raised his eyes from the ground. God his eyes were so blue. Much more interesting than the grass he'd been staring at. "I...I don't feel right." He said, suddenly breathless. 

The concern increased on Sabo's face which really disappointed Ace because he wanted to see him smile. "We should go see Law."

"NO." Ace said. "No, there's nothing he can do."

"Ace-"

"I'm sorry I've been so busy." He blurted out, taking Sabo's hand. "I shouldn't have kissed you and left you hanging."

Sabo's face reddened, making Ace's heart skip a beat. "We can talk about it later-"

"No, it's been long enough." Ace insisted, coming to his feet. "And I've been wanting to do it again so," He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Sabo's eagerly. Really, why had he waited so long to do this again?

Sabo took a step back, separating them. "A-Ace. You're not feeling well."

"If it's contagious, Law can just fix both of us." Ace said, stepping closer again. He grasped both of Sabo's hands and pulled him close. "Do you not want to kiss me?" He asked.

Sabo did his best to glare but the look was a weak one. "It's not about that-"

Ace silenced him with another kiss and he was glad to find Sabo kissing him back. His head was spinning, his anger gone. He held Sabo tightly and their lips moved together with a hunger Ace was unfamiliar with. But he liked it. He liked it very much.

"Ow." Sabo hissed, taking a step back again. "Ace you're hot." He tugged his hands free and winced.

Ace snorted, "Thanks I guess but-"

" _No_." Sabo insisted, staring at his red hands. "Ace you're hot. _Literally_ hot."

Ace frowned. "What are you...?" His vision swam, the ground rose up to meet him and he fell into darkness.


	21. Manifestations of Fire

**Sabo:**

"I don't understand, how can there be nothing wrong?"

Law sighed and reluctantly explained it once more. "Obviously there's something going on but it's not a sickness or disease or any sort of poison. I would feel it if it was. Whatever is happening must be naturally occurring."

On the opposite side of Ace's unconscious form, Robin spoke. "In your experience, have you ever _not_ been able to sense what is wrong with someone?"

Law shook his head.

"Even when the effect was magical?"

"No. I don't always know what is wrong but I can always feel that something is." Law gestured to Ace. "When Teach drained him of his energy I could feel that but at first I wasn't sure what it was."

Sabo stared at the both of them. "So there really is nothing wrong with him?"

The two shared a look of hesitation.

Trying to understand what they were not saying, Sabo started pacing. "You think this is _supposed_ to be happening?"

They shared another look.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "How could that be right? He was furious with Luffy for no reason one second and then-" Sabo flushed. "Well, _not_ furious with him anymore. He was all over the place, what am I missing here?"

Law regarded him seriously. "We know that Teach talked about canceling out my magic."

Sabo nodded.

"And since he's left, Law and I have felt a difference in our magic." Robin said.

His pacing slowed as they spoke. "What kind of difference?"

They shared yet another look and Law spoke. "After discussing it we believe that Teach had been weakening our magic the whole time we have been here."

Sabo frowned. "But wouldn't you know?"

"Magic abilities develop over time and the more you use it, the stronger it usually gets. But that's not always the case." Law turned back to Ace. "When I joined this circus I was young but I already had developed my magic."

"And when I got here I had already had mine as well." Robin explained.

"So you think Teach has just been keeping you from getting too strong this whole time?" He asked, following their train of thought.

Law nodded. "But when it comes to Ace, he came here when he was a child, he hadn't developed his magic yet-"

Sabo blinked, coming to a stop. "Whoa, you're saying that this is all because Ace has magic all of a sudden?"

Robin shook her head. "Not all of a sudden. Magic doesn't manifest past adolescence. We believe that he has had this magic his entire life but Teach has been suppressing it."

"But why?"

Law glowered. "I'm sure Teach was worried that if Ace got too strong, he would undermine him as the lead of the circus."

"Something that I believe Whitebeard would have wanted anyway." Robin added with a faint glare.

Sabo struggled to keep up. He knew nothing of magic or how it worked. "But does it always happen like this?" He asked, kneeling beside Ace.

"Sometimes." Law told him. "Not often. In this case Ace's body isn't used to having access to the magic and right now he has no control over it."

"So, what? We just do nothing?" He asked, irritated by the thought.

Robin knelt across from him. "Law and I will help him. Between the differences in our magic we should be able to cover what Ace will need to know to control his."

"Is it hurting him?" He couldn't help but ask.

Robin raised her brows. "The heat? No." She shook her head with disbelief. "Ace has been surrounded by fire his whole life. I almost feel as though we should have expected this. I've never seen someone interact with it as he does."

"He probably doesn't even notice it." Law added, looking to Sabo.

Sabo's thoughts went to the look on his face when they stood in the tent. How Ace's skin had suddenly blazed beneath his and the confusion that followed.

"Do you think Teach weakening him made it worse?" He asked.

"Most likely." Law said. "Probably why he fainted. His body is overloaded with the magic coming to the surface now."

Sabo sighed, once again worrying over the unconscious Fire Dancer. "I hope he wakes soon."

Robin rose to her feet. "He'll wake when he's ready. In the mean time, the two of you should get some rest."

**The Fire Dancer Ace:**

Ace was sitting at the small wooden table, tying twine around his mother's favorite flowers. He had made sure to take only the pink ones since she liked those best and carefully set the bundle in the center of the wood surface.

"You can come in now!" He said, shouting to the small room where he helped his mother prepare food.

The woman's gentle laugh drifted towards him and Rouge stepped into the equally small room where her son waited eagerly. "What have you been up to?" She puzzled. When her eyes landed on the flowers she smiled and lifted them carefully as though they were the most precious things in the world. "These are beautiful Ace!"

He beamed at her and stood up on the chair. "Father said they were your favorite." Ace told her with excitement, happy to have made her smile with his gift.

She raised her brows briefly. "He was right, they are." Rouge stared at the flowers. "He must have told you that a long time ago."

Ace shrugged.

Rogue set the flowers aside and looked at him in the eyes. "Do you miss him?"

He shook his head and answered easily. "No because I'm with you." He said with another grin.

She smiled gently at that and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. "Thank you for the flowers Ace." He nodded into her shoulder and suddenly he was in the air as she lifted him and set his small feet on top of hers. "I heard a new song today in the square, would you like to hear it?" She asked, gazing down at him.

Ace nodded and held onto her hands as she began to sing and spin them around their tiny home. 

*** * ***

He woke with a start, a gasp fresh on his lips. Silver light filled the air and he found himself laying on the ground in an unfamiliar tent.

"What the hell?" He muttered, trying to remember how he had ended up here and what had happened last. Ace began to sit up and lifted his hand to rub his face but froze. "Why am I wet?" He wondered out loud.

"We didn't want you to set the grass on fire." A voice said in the darkness.

His heart skipped a beat and he squinted in the moonlight. "Robin? What are you doing?" His mind swirled even more, trying to make sense of what was going on. 

She shifted in the chair she sat in. "Keeping an eye on you, how do you feel?" 

He stared at her for a moment, waiting for his brain to work properly. He could remember her telling him to relax and then Luffy... "Oh no..."He recalled the anger that had come out of nowhere and then when Sabo came to see what was wrong... 

Ace groaned. "I feel like a _fool_ wait- did you say you didn't want me setting the grass on _fire_?" He hoped he had heard her wrong.

Robin gestured to where he sat and in the pale light he could just make out scorch marks on the ground around him.

His heart started to beat heavily. "I don't understand, how could I have possibly done that?"

Robin's even gaze didn't waver. "Because you're devil touched."

The phrase filled the tent and settled into the space between them. "What?"

"Law and I have-"

"No no, that can't be possible." Ace was saying, trying to rationalize what could have really happened. What was wrong and yet _not_ wrong with him. Devil touched? No...he never had magic. "Law told me you get your magic when you're young, it's not possible to get it so late."

Robin nodded. "That is true."

Ace stared at her, confused. "So how-" A chill raced down his back. 

_'It takes a lot of energy to dampen a person's magic but I've managed it for years.'_

Another memory flashed through his mind, making his heart skip.

_'How is it that smoke doesn't cloud your eyes?!' Marco asked with disbelief. 'It's like you can breathe it as if pure air!'_

Then tent wobbled as he shook his head. "Wait wait wait, this is crazy."

Robin leaned forward. "Have you figured it out?"

He felt his hands shake. "If Teach was telling the truth then yes but I don't-" Ace shook his head. "I mean, I'm not-"

"Take a breath." She suggested gently.

He did as she said and his hands stilled. "What is happening?"

"You're becoming aware of the magic you have." She informed him. "You have to learn how to control it."

He scoffed. "Control it? I don't even know what _it_ is!"

There was silence and he felt her eyes boring into him. "Law believes that you've been having trouble with it because of Teach but I disagree." Robin said swiftly. "I think you are still trying to suppress it."

Ace looked at her in the silver light, confusion on his face. "Apparently Teach has been keeping it from...I don't what you call it, appearing? And now you're saying I'm trying to do the same thing?"

She pursed her lips. "Not the same thing because you _can't_ suppress it. You're only trying to. You've been feeling strange for days." An uncanny look of realization passed over her features. "He told you didn't he?"

"He mentioned dampening _someone's_ magic but he didn't specify." He grumbled. "That bastard just had to control everything, didn't he?" How was he supposed to feel about all of this? He suddenly had magic? Magic that Teach made sure he never had because he wanted to manipulate him more? Because Teach feared him? Ace sighed, all he wanted to do was dance and breathe fire so why was it all becoming so complicated?

"Ace-"

"Why are we sitting in the dark?" He interrupted, suddenly irritated by it. 

Robin's expression shifted as she raised her brows. "I had just so happened to be getting a bit of sleep before you woke." There was the sound of stone striking stone and suddenly a small flame blazed in the darkness. 

Ace eyed the candle warily but said nothing. 

"You believe that what happened with Teach and the Guard was your fault." 

Before he could even try interrupting, Robin quieted him with a hard look.

"I know you Ace, I've known you for years. Can you tell me I'm wrong?" His silence was answer enough. "Good, because I can tell you that _you_ are."

"But it _was_ my fault." He insisted. "If I had handled it-"

"There was no way you could have known what Teach would do or what would be different if you confronted him sooner." She spoke very matter of fact. "Perhaps he would have killed you outright if you came to him before he discovered Sabo and Vivi. Law made it very clear that he wanted you gone."

He watched the candle flame shift with the air. "I don't-"

"Ace. Tell me what's going on."

The candlelight shifted once more and he clenched his jaw. Robin wouldn't stop prodding him for an answer until he gave one and it had to be the truth. She would take nothing less. He came to his feet and plucked up a blanket that had been folded next to him. Wrapped in the fabric, he collapsed into a chair that the candlelight had revealed. "What's going on is that I wasn't strong enough to handle the problem I created." He began reluctantly. "Well, maybe I didn't create the entire problem but I didn't help it and when it came down to it I couldn't do anything."

"And now?"

Ace laughed without humor. "Now you're telling me I've had magic my whole life and maybe if I had realized that before I _could_ have done something useful." He stared at his hands. "Then Teach and his merry band of assholes wouldn't be out roaming the world doing who knows what to who knows who."

"Everyone made their own choice that night to defend their home and the people they love." 

He sighed. "Yeah but-"

She held up a hand. "But nothing. Everyone made their own decisions and you had nothing to do with that. It was Luffy's choice to confront Burgess and Sabo's choice to come help you. The rest of us weren't going to stand by and let our home fall to ruin and that was _our_ choice." She offered him a wry smile. "Whether you like it or not."

He managed a short, light laugh. "I just feel like I don't deserve this. It doesn't make sense."

"And that must come from something deeper." Robin rubbed her eyes warily. "I can't help you with that I'm afraid." 

The candle shivered and Ace pulled the blanket tighter around him. "So what now?"

"Now Law and I help you as much as we can. You have to do the rest."

He raised his hands and studied them in the firelight. "You think I'll be able to...you know...make fire or something?"

Robin smiled. "I think you'll be able to do something wonderful. But be careful." She warned, coming to her feet. "I don't think Sabo could survive catching fire for the third time."


	22. Act Two: The Corrida Colosseum

The sound ripped through the air and tore through his mind. 

He couldn't move. 

He couldn't reach out. 

He couldn't do anything. 

He could only watch as the one person he swore to protect in this place bled out at his feet.


	23. The Invitation

**The Fire Dancer Ace:**

"When do I get to see?" Luffy demanded, clambering onto his back. "It's been weeks."

Ace shifted his weight to accommodate for Luffy. "Just a few more practices and I'll show you Lu, you and everyone else."

His brother sighed deeply in his ear. "As long as everyone else is waiting I guess it's fine."

That made him laugh. "Glad it's to your liking then."

Luffy climbed higher, coming to a stop at Ace's shoulders. "Can you do it again though?" He asked.

Ace sighed, shaking his head but he obliged. The small flame danced across his upturned palm, the prickling sensation of the heat spreading across his arm. "There see?" He closed his hand and made the fire vanish. "Happy?"

"I wish I did something cool." Luffy grumbled but seemed satisfied for now. "Do you think you could set your whole body on fire one day?!"

Ace was uncomfortable with how much the idea seemed to enthuse him. "I don't know, maybe." He tugged lightly on Luffy's ankle. "Alright you've had enough time being tall for once."

His brother grumbled but leaped down to the ground. "Where are you going?"

"To find Sabo, you really want to tag along?" He teased.

Luffy wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "I'll go find something else to do."

"Alright." Ace said with a laugh. "And don't forget you're performing tomorrow."

His brother nodded vigorously as he walked away.

As it turned out he didn't have to kick Luffy off his shoulders as Sabo was with Koala. Ace walked up to the pair eagerly. He had grown fond of her company and Koala always told him some entertaining story about Sabo when the three of them were together which only made him like her more.

"Afternoon." He said, coming to sit beside Sabo.

Koala smiled widely. "Hey Ace. How did practice go today?"

"Pretty well actually." Ace took Sabo's hand and held it carefully. He was always cautious when they touched now as he still had trouble with temperature when he was distracted. "I think I'll be ready to show everyone my new act by tomorrow evening."

Sabo squeezed his hand for just a moment. "We've all been anxious to see it."

"Yeah Luffy won't stop pestering me about it."

"I don't blame him." Sabo said.

Koala nodded. "Yeah from what I've heard you're pretty amazing. I can't imagine what your act will be like now that you can _create_ fire."

"Well I'm still learning." Ace clarified. "And it's only in my hands."

"Still." She said. "I'm expecting to be speechless." Koala offered him some fruit from a burlap bag.

"So what were you to doing before I interrupted?" Ace asked, taking an apple.

"Oh!" Koala scooted around so she faced the two of them. "I was commenting on the relationships here."

Ace stared at her. "Relationships?"

"Besides the two of you." She waved her hand through the air. "There's Sanji and the Swordsman-"

Ace laughed. "I think everyone is aware of that but themselves."

"And then she mentioned Nami and Vivi." Sabo said.

"Hmm. I...could see that." Ace mused. "I haven't really noticed though."

Koala raised her brows. "Well you've been distracted."

 _"Koala."_ Sabo warned.

She lifted her hands innocently. "Obviously Franky and Robin have been together for years but there's also Luffy and Law-."

Ace choked on his apple. "What?"

Sabo sent him a confused glance. "What do you mean what?"

Struggling to swallow the remains of the apple Ace shook his head. "I mean, _what?"_

Koala picked up a few grapes. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed."

He looked between the two of them. "Noticed _what?"_

Sabo stared at him with disbelief. "I've mentioned it before-"

"Mentioned _what?"_ They said nothing, waiting for him to apparently gather whatever they had noticed. Ace considered what they were saying, sifting through his memories. "No, I mean Luffy just-" He frowned. "And Law is-" His eyes grew wide. "Wait, are you sure?"

Koala shrugged. "As sure as we could be without out right mentioning it to them."

Ace's head spun. "This is- I don't-"

"Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned it..." Koala said tentatively.

"No I just..." Ace shook his head. 

Sabo changed the subject. "Who's going into town tomorrow?"

Thankful for the change Ace grabbed another apple. "Luffy, Usopp and Nami. Usopp is planning to throw knives around Nami as she dances."

"I would like to see that." Koala said with a gleam in her round eyes. "Do you need me here tomorrow?"

"No you should be fine to go with them if you want." Ace told her between bites. "I'm hoping to move camp again the following day. I think we've earned what we could in this region."

"Do you want to keep heading south?" Sabo asked.

Ace frowned. "I don't know yet. It would probably be best to get out of Goa for awhile but I'm not sure if we should keep heading south or go west."

Koala leaned forward, interested. "Have you ever been to Sabody?" 

"Yeah a few times." Ace said. "Whitebeard mostly had us traveling through Goa, the Union and Dressrosa."

"What are we closest to right now?" Sabo wondered. "I've never been good with geography."

"Dressrosa." Koala and Ace said at the same time.

Sabo fixed his blue eyes on his friend. "Since when have you known anything about geography?"

"I'll have you know Sabo that I spent a lot of time in the palace library when I could." Koala said seriously. "Hack made sure I could read of course and so I did."

Sabo's face fell. "I'm a bit disappointed that you never snuck anything for me to read." 

Koala shook her head. "Everything in that library is as boring as the books you were already being forced to read so I never bothered."

Ace grew very still as they discussed their life at the castle. It was something he was curious about but was always hesitant to mention it as Sabo disliked discussing any part of his life there.

"That's actually not very surprising..." Sabo muttered.

Koala focused back on Ace. "Where would you usually go in Dressrosa?"

"We wouldn't go too far." He said. "Never made it to the capital but-"

"ACE!"

The three of them turned, catching sight of Luffy. He was racing towards them, shouting the whole way. 

"ACE THERE'S A RIDER!"

Ace jumped to his feet, his heart racing. Did someone tell the King the truth about Sabo and Vivi after all?

"What rider?!" He shouted back, the others following him as he rushed towards his brother. "What's going on?"

Luffy skid to a stop and grinned hugely. "There's a rider from Dressrosa. She wants to talk to you."

"Wait Dressrosa? Me?" Ace followed him to the center of camp. "They asked for me by name?"

Luffy rolled his eyes. "No, she asked for the Circus Head."

Ace looked at the two behind him. They both wore equal expressions of confusion.

"Hang on would you?" He grabbed Luffy's arm and pulled him to a stop. "Why are you so excited about this?"

Luffy blinked at him. "Because she said it's about the Colosseum!"

"She what?!" Ace lurched forward breaking into a run. 

Could it really be?! A grin came over his lips and he felt all the stress and worrying for the circus fade away. If they were about to be invited they wouldn't have to worry about having enough money to fix any of their equipment! 

"Where is she Lu?" He asked, searching the camp.

"There!" His brother exclaimed, pointing straight ahead. 

Standing beside a white mare was a tall woman with green hair. Ace slowed down, wanting to appear at least a bit professional and walked up to her slowly.

"How can I help you?" He asked, adrenaline racing through his veins.

She turned and a pair of harsh yellow eyes stared into his. They reminded him of a birds gaze and he looked back uncomfortably. "Are you the one in charge of this group?" She asked, pushing back a cream colored cloak to reach into a pouch at her waist.

Ace nodded. "I am. I was told you came all the way from Dressrosa."

She said nothing until she retrieved a slender piece of parchment. "This is a formal invitation for you and your circus to participate in this season's Corrida Colosseum. If you accept the invitation you are required to arrive at Capital City by the end of the month." She spoke quickly as if she was anxious to leave.

Beside them the horse stamped her feet, just as impatient as her rider it seemed.

"We accept." Ace said immediately, having no need to think about it. "Absolutely, we will be there."

The woman looked mildly surprised but made no comment. "Enclosed are further details." She held out the parchment and Ace reached for it. It was brief, but just for a moment their hands touched and the two of them shivered involuntarily. 

Ace held the parchment carefully, trying to ignore the chill he felt. "Thank you. For coming all this way. Would you like some food or-"

"That won't be necessary." She said and mounted the white mare. "I suppose I will see you in Dressrosa." The woman said and promptly galloped away.

He watched her ride south and despite his excitement he was unable to shake the uncomfortable feeling from his mind. 

"What was that all about?" Sabo came up beside him, looking after the woman as well.

Ace grinned and turned, grabbing Sabo's hands and spinning them in a circle. "That was the end to all our worries!" He exclaimed and releasing him to show off the letter.

"We were invited!?" Luffy bellowed, running up to them.

Sabo looked dizzy. "Invited to what? How will this help the circus?"

"Every two years Dressrosa holds a competition in the Capital City." Ace began.

"They invite performers from all across the continent to come!" Luffy continued. "I'm going to go tell the others." He said and ran off.

Sabo laid a hand on Ace's shoulder. "As much as I love seeing you this excited, can you explain more clearly?"

"Of course." Ace said. "Sorry. Essentially we're going to go perform in Dressrosa in front of thousands of people. It's a circus performance competition. Have you heard of Donquixote's Circus?"

Sabo shook his head, his face blank.

"I didn't think so. It's the circus in Dressrosa, it's the biggest and most successful circus group to date." He explained. "They judge the groups that come and choose the winner."

Sabo was frowning. "What are the odds of us winning though?" He asked. "It sounds like the competition is high."

Ace shook his head. "Even if we don't win, the notoriety from just participating could be enough for us to earn enough to have a set up better than before the fire!"

Excitement flashed through Sabo's eyes. "Sanji could finally get his act!"

"And we could have more than the three large tents." Ace said. "Wait! I have to go find Robin and talk to her about this!"

"Alright." Sabo said. "I'll go help spread the word."

Ace grinned again as they rushed off. It was about time they had a bit of good news.

**The Witch Doctor Law:**

Confused by the amount of shouting that had been going on, Law stepped out of his replacement tent and nearly crashed into Luffy.

"Tra!" He exclaimed, catching himself before he could fall. "I was just looking for you."

Law steadied himself and looked around the camp. "What's going on?"

"We got invited!" Luffy said, bouncing on his toes and grinning. 

Law waited for him to elaborate but the Contortionist offered nothing more. "Luffy?"

Luffy nodded.

"What were we invited to?"

The words that left Luffy's mouth were ones he hoped he would never hear. "To the Corrida Colosseum! We're going to Dressrosa!"


	24. Weightless Warning

**The Escape Artist Nami:**

"Have you heard?!" Nami exclaimed, tackling Sanji and Usopp into a hug.

"Yes!" Usopp shouted in her ear. 

"I heard they have the finest quality foods in Dressrosa!" Sanji said on her right.

She threaded her arms through theirs and pulled them through the camp. "Imagine all the money we'll make after this!"

Sanji suddenly started. "I'll get my own act!"

"Yes!" Nami grinned up at him. "You and Vivi can have a trapeze tent!"

"And I can have a bigger tent for more targets!" Usopp said.

Nami sighed, her thoughts racing from one thing to another. "There are so many different types of acts in Dressrosa, I wish we could see them all!"

" _I_ hope we win." Usopp said, standing taller. "I think we have a good chance!"

Nami frowned. "Maybe...I liked our chances before the fire, when we had more equipment and people."

"If everyone participates I like our chances." Sanji said carefully. 

"We might be the smallest group there." Nami pointed out but she shook the doubt from her mind. "Even if we don't win we'll still gain a large audience!" She pulled them to a stop and they collapsed around what remained of the morning fire. 

"I hope I'll get to catch a glimpse of the Gladiator." Usopp said, exhilaration in his eyes. 

Sanji frowned. "The Gladiator?"

"Is this another one of your stories?"

Usopp looked at the both of them with utter seriousness. "This story is true."

Nami laughed at the weight in his voice. "Alright then, let's hear it."

He grinned. "No one knows for sure, but it is believed that the worlds greatest warrior resides in Dressrosa. He defends it from unseen and unimaginable threats."

She waited for more but Usopp stared at them expectantly. "That's it?" She asked.

Sanji rolled his eyes. "How do you know it's true?"

Usopp huffed. "Because, if you ask _anyone_ they can tell you that they've heard about the Gladiator! There has to be some truth if everyone has heard of him!"

Nami kicked some dirt into the embers. "Sanji and I hadn't heard of him." She pointed out.

Usopp crossed his arms. "Well...you're not everyone."

She laughed. "I could have told you that! But regardless of whether it's true or not, we'll be there soon and you can figure it out!"

His eyes widened. "A secret mission to uncover the truth of the Gladiator!"

"A mission to make money." Nami added with a gleam in her eye.

Sanji smiled. "And a mission to try all of the food."

"I can't wait!" She said, looking between them. "This will be our best journey yet!"

**The Witch Doctor Law:**

He was glad Luffy had rushed off after telling him the news. It had given him a chance to gather the chaotic thoughts and memories that had crashed into him the moment he'd said Dressrosa.

Law thought he'd moved past...well, the past. But the strength of the emotions in his chest was proof enough that he hadn't. And it seemed as though the past wasn't finished with him yet either.

He pushed through the camp, feeling dizzy by the sounds of excitement around him. He had no idea what he would say to Ace. What _could_ he say? 

Law opened his mouth as if to test the weight of the words but he closed his lips. He didn't need to test it to know the outcome would be the same as it had always been.

Apoo suddenly stumbled into his path with a grin. "Law! Did you hear?!"

Law stopped short as the musician spoke. "Yes I heard." He said flatly. "Have you seen Ace?"

The man frowned. "Uh yeah he was heading to Robin's last I saw." Apoo studied him closely. "Are you alright?"

"I just need to speak with Ace." Law said and pushed past him towards Robin's tent.

He found Ace before he could reach the tent. Ace was wearing a grin like everyone else and had a bounce in his step. It was the best mood Law had seen him in in awhile. 

"Ace I need to talk to you." He said.

The Fire Dancer glanced at him. "Oh hey, sure thing let me just talk to Robin about-"

Law stepped into his path. "Now. Please."

Ace's grin wavered as he noted the serious look on Law's face. "Alright." He said slowly. "What's wrong?"

Law fought the urge to clench his hands into fists as he realized how difficult this was going to be. "I know this isn't what you want to hear, but we can't go to Dressrosa."

Ace stared at him. "What?" He asked, with a confused yet amused expression.

Law took a deep breath. "Ace, you trust me right?"

He nodded with concern.

"Then trust me when I say that we can't go."

Ace crossed his arms, a full frown on his features now. "While this doesn't make any sense to me I'll hear you out because like you said, I trust you."

He wanted the explanation. Obviously. To him this was the greatest thing that could have happened. But Law couldn't give that to him. 

"Ace, it's...it's not a good idea. We shouldn't go there."

The Fire Dancer raised his brows. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked. "Did Luffy somehow convince you to finally pull a prank?"

"What?" Law shook his head. "No, this is the most serious I've ever been." He didn't know how but he had to get Ace to believe him.

Ace narrowed his eyes. "I can see that. Okay, why shouldn't we go?"

His hands _did_ become fists now. "I-I can't tell you." Law said with defeat.

Ace snorted. "Right, you'd have us miss out on the best thing that has happened to this circus in years and not tell me why."

Law said nothing.

The Fire Dancer's eyes widened. "Hold on, you're serious?"

"Like I said."

Ace shook his head. "I don't understand, why would it be some secret? Just tell me."

Law sighed. "I already told you that I can't."

"Well...why not?"

"I can't tell you that either."

Ace stared, his grey eyes boring into him. "Law what is going on?"

"Ace, please just trust me. Don't go."

He shook his head. "I can't agree to that without having a damn good reason Law, you know that."

"And I'm telling you that you just have to trust me." Law said, almost desperately. Why couldn't he just agree? "This is serious."

"No." Ace said irritably. "You say this is as serious as you've ever been but this is as serious as _I've_ ever been. We need this." He said with certainty. "Not just want this. We _need_ this. It's my job to make sure this circus does the best it can and we can't do that with the state we're in now!"

Law shook his head. "I _know_ -"

"Then just tell me why!" Ace burst out, throwing his arms wide. "What is so hard about that?!"

"Damn it Ace!" Law shouted, hatred at his silence spilling out. "If I could I would tell you right now!

Ace shook his head. "That's bullshit, you have nothing stopping you."

He took a deep breath, fighting to stay calm. "Ace-"

He took a step back. "I'm not doing this Law. I told you where I stand and if you can't trust me with the reason then I can't trust you by changing my mind. We're going to Dressrosa and unless you give me a good reason as to why we shouldn't, nothing is changing. And if you don't want to go, I won't force you."

Law looked at him with disbelief. "If the circus is going I'm going. You're not goin-"

"What, alone?" Ace interrupted bitterly. "There's _fourteen_ of us Law!"

"It's-"

Ace took a breath. "I trust you Law but I deserve some trust in return." He waited, offering one more chance for Law to explain. When he said nothing Ace turned and continued to Robin's tent, leaving Law standing helplessly alone with the words he couldn't say aloud. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all thank you for reading! I know it's short, I'm hoping I have time to post some more soon! Thank you! Happy holidays!


	25. Exciting Forboding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies and Gentleman we're back!!

**The Witch Doctor Law:**

He already packed. They had been moving on so much lately that he never bothered to really unpack. The only thing left was his small tent that survived the flames. 

Outside he could hear the others talking excitedly and loading the only wagon. He'd heard Nojiko and Sanji had run into the nearby settlement, gathering the last of supplies they would need for the road and for the acts.

Law hadn't spoken to anyone since Ace. Despite his frustration he couldn't blame Ace. As far as any of them knew, this was gong to save the Circus. And...well...perhaps they weren't wrong. It had been years...

The Witch Doctor shook his head. No. Nothing in Dressrosa could be what seemed. It never had been.

Outside the tent he heard the familiar phrase. _Kingdom of Dreams._

 _A Kingdom of Dreams indeed._ He thought bitterly. One man's dream.

As he struggled with his thoughts someone pushed their way inside. Law glanced away from his things, wondering if Ace had changed his mind after all but it was Luffy who stood there.

He felt like glaring. Not at Luffy, but at his life in general right now. Unlike how he usually felt, Luffy was the last person he wanted to see. If he asked any questions....it would feel even worse when he was unable to answer _him_. Law prepared himself but the Contortionist surprised him.

"Are you alright?" The shadow of concern was present on his face.

He couldn't explain his answer, but he would give Luffy what truths he could. "Not really."

Luffy nodded as though this made perfect sense. "Ace said you were upset but you couldn't tell him why."

Law sighed and began placing his packed bags into a pile. "Did _you_ come to ask me why?"

There was a pause. "No. I think...if it was really bad, you would find a way to tell Ace what he needed to know."

He closed his eyes, processing Luffy's words. The trust he so clearly had for him. Law had been wrong, this was much worse than not being able to answer him.

"But if you want to stay so badly..." Something like disappointment filled Luffy's voice. "Why are you going?"

Law's eyes flashed open and he turned to the Contortionist. "Because you're going."

Luffy stared at him.

"You're all going." Law added as his heart raced. "So of course I'm going too."

He frowned.

"Do you really think I would leave the Circus?" Law asked, bothered by the thought.

A thoughtful look passed over Luffy's face. "No but if you don't want to go-"

Law reached out and grasped his shoulders. "Luffy I'm going. Don't worry about me."

Dark eyes stared up at him and Law dropped his arms. _Careful_. He cautioned himself.

"Besides," He continued. "Weren't you excited about going?" Law grasped words at random. He tried to change the subject, distance them from their closeness.

Luffy nodded hesitantly but Law saw his eyes light up. "Usopp has been telling me stories he'd heard about it."

"I doubt many of them are true."

Luffy shrugged, still watching him closely. It was like he could sense Law had more to say.

He caved. "Will you promise me something?" Law said cautiously.

Luffy watched him expectantly.

"When we get there, pay attention to your surroundings."

It was a relief to see him nod.

"Be careful." Law urged, unable to stop himself. The image of Luffy after his fight with Burgess was one that had started to haunt him. "And don't believe-" The words caught in his throat, almost choking him.

"What's wrong?" Luffy asked, concern back on his face.

"I'm fine." Law said after taking a deep breath. He forced himself to look into his eyes. "Just promise me."

"I promise." 

The slightest amount of relief washed over him. "Thank you. It sounds like they could use some help outside if you want to go. I'll be finished in just a minute."

Luffy nodded once more and slipped outside, a bit of excitement returning to his face.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

They left as soon as they were ready. It was late afternoon when they took to the road and the sun shined brightly on their group. Law stayed quiet most of the time, unable to participate in the excitement and conversation that thrummed through the performers.

Everyone was smiling to some degree. There was talk of sightseeing and the marvels and feats of the Donquixote Circus. Sanji and Luffy were particularly interested in the food while Usopp was eager to discover all the secrets Dressrosa had to offer.

Law was busy hoping _that_ wouldn't be happening at all.

Nami, Nojiko and Robin were talking pros and cons of changing certain acts into things more dynamic and awe inspiring. Ace talked mostly with Apoo, going over tempo and music it seemed. The most interesting conversations to Law however was Sabo and Vivi's.

It sounded as though the former Prince had never been and knew very little of the country. Vivi however told him stories of a time she spent there as a child. Law listened carefully to what she had to say about her childhood memories of King Riku and his family. It was a time hard for him to imagine. Especially when she briefly mentioned Princess Viola, or Violet as Law knew her. It didn't sound like the same person.

Later that evening Usopp rushed up to him with a grin. "Hey Law! I was thinking you could be part of my-"

"No." He said quickly. Watching Usopp's face fall, Law quickly continued. "Sorry Usopp but I won't be performing in Dressrosa."

He blinked with confusion. "But what about the whole group act?"

"You'll make do without me. And Sanji will be with you full time now." He felt sick, trying to force calmness into his voice. Law didn't try to make people feel better like this. Yet despite Law's lack of experience doing so, Usopp did seem to feel better. At least it looked like he did.

"Alright..." He said and rushed off again.

Scowling, Law tried to clear his head.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

**Vivi:**

"So, what's the move again?"

Sanji moved again, slower this time. "Make sure you have control over your balance first, otherwise you could hurt yourself."

Vivi adjusted her form to match his. "You are uncannily good with balance." She commented, trying to center herself.

"I prefer fighting with my legs." He replied, offering her a hand when she wobbled. 

Vivi took it gratefully and focused on the rope. It had been five days since they left for Dressrosa and she had spent most of the nights practicing with Sanji. They both agreed that a high wire and trapeze act would be much more engaging with two people. 

She managed walking across easily and could do a few simple tricks. Currently, Sanji was teaching her how to backflip and land back on the rope with proper form. As to how it was going....she hand more than a few rope burns and scrapes.

"Don't think of it as jumping." Sanji told her again. He stood at her level on the wagon they'd put near the rope tied between trees. "Let your arms pull you back and around."

Vivi nodded and wiped her brow. The nights were warm in the South and sweat was the one thing she hadn't missed. "Alright I'll go again."

She stared at her feet, which were wrapped in strips of fabric for protection. All she had to do was land exactly how she stood now. It was possible, she had seen Sanji do it a hundred times already.

Vivi held her arms out behind her and swung them forward. She lifted off fine, somersaulting through the air. She kept her legs in a v shape as she flipped. She needed to land on one to avoid landing with too much force. She saw the wire as her head passed just above it and followed it with her eyes, using her sight to lead her landing.

Her toes brushed against the rope and her heart skipped with victory but it was short lived. She felt the familiar burn as her foot slipped and the rope scraped against her leg as she fell. Vivi threw her hands out below her, wrapping them around the rope before she could crash to the ground.

She bounced there for a moment, clinging to the tiny thing that kept her elevated. 

Sanji was on the ground, clearly prepared to catch her. The fall was only six feet and there were blankets and paddings but she had crashed down so often recently that cushions or no, she felt a new bruise every time she fell.

"We should take a break." Sanji said suddenly. 

Vivi shook her head, catching her breath.

He frowned up at her. "How does your leg feel?" He pointed to the pants she was wearing and she looked down.

The fabric on the inside of her right leg was frayed, worn down from sliding against the rope each time she fell. He was right to ask about it. The skin there burned and ached and she knew she would have the worse burns yet.

Vivi pulled herself up and sat on the rope. "I just want to get this right."

"As much as I would love for you to to use the move in the act, you don't have to."

She shook her head.

Sanji narrowed his gaze. "Have you been seeing Law?"

Vivi rolled her eyes. "I'm fine they're just scrapes."

"That add up. If you're too tired or worn out then you'll _really_ hurt yourself." He said and began to gather the blankets. "That's all for now. I know you can do it Vivi but it doesn't have to be now."

With a sigh she flipped slowly to the ground and let go of the rope. Standing on her feet Vivi felt the aches and bruises even more. "I guess asking Law for some help...wouldn't hurt..."

**The Sword Swallower Zoro:**

"Let me get this straight, you want to stand on my shoulders and while I swallow swords, you're going to throw knives. Then you want use my _real_ swords, throw those into the air and let them land wherever they fall?"

Usopp seemed to both nod and shake his head. "Not land _wherever._ Obviously I'm not throwing them at random. They'll land around us perfectly!"

Zoro considered this. It was dangerous. It was different. "Alright. Let's do it." He said simply.

Usopp grinned. "Yes! We'll be the best knife act there!"

Squinting in the sunlight Zoro shrugged. "It's possible."

He barely felt Uopp smack his arm. "It's going to be true." He said with earnest. "Between Ace's new abilities, the addition of Sabo and Sanji's new act with Vivi, not to mention Robin and Nami and Nojiko doing their stuff! We can win this thing!!"

When he put it like that Zoro felt better about their chances. "I'm always up for a challenge." He said. As he said so a thought crossed his mind. "Usopp, that Gladiator you keep mentioning, is he a swordsman?"

"I think so." Usopp said, glancing at him warily. "Why?"

"If he's as skilled as you say, I'd like to see for myself."

Usopp groaned. "Oh no, you're going to try to fight him!" He grabbed Zoro. "Don't do it! You might kill him!"

Zoro scoffed. "I thought he was better than anyone?"

His friend nodded. "Well yeah! But I've never seen him in action whereas I've seen _you_ in action!" He shuddered. "Besides who knows how old he is! The stories are old! But maybe it's more of a mantle..." Usopp said suddenly. "If that's the case..."

He quietly began muttering to himself and Zoro continued to walk, saying nothing else about it. If it was a mantle there was a chance the Gladiator didn't need to be the best. Maybe the reputation of the position itself made the persons strength less relevant.

Zoro frowned, hoping that wasn't the case.

They were ten days into their journey and everyone had been spending time with their performance partners. Early in the mornings, before they hit the road, Ace would have them practice the new finale. Zoro knew Usopp's new idea wouldn't take long for the two of them to figure out as they performed together often.

Everything was nearly ready for Dressrosa, but he had a strange feeling about it. Zoro glanced back at Law who was having his ear talked off by Luffy. He'd hadn't looked relaxed since the day the invitation arrived. Zoro knew -like everyone else- that he wasn't talking about why he was worried but as they grew closer and closer he'd began to feel uneasy too.

He shook his head. Maybe it was because he'd been keeping an eye on Law as they traveled. The worry could have rubbed off on him.

But Zoro wasn't so sure. He wasn't one to worry without cause.


	26. Dressrosa: The Kingdom of Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I really hope you like this chapter I really do! Thank you so much for all your interest in this story!   
> I'm one of those people who likes associating music with things that I'm really into. My favorite song I've come to associating with the canon Dressrosa storyline is Cut the Cord by Shinedown. It was in my head as I wrote this and if you're like me check it out!

**Sabo:**

To say he was in awe would fall woefully short of the truth. Never had he seen this amount of people smiling and shouting with excitement. Rows and rows of wagons, horses and people dotted the road, pressing his own group together until they blended in with the rest.

Colorful pieces of canvas and clothing made the trails of people into chaotic rainbows of anticipation. Everything and everyone around them thrummed with life and happiness at a scale Sabo wouldn't have believed possible.

"It's amazing isn't it?" Ace called to him from atop the wagon.

Sabo nodded and followed his gaze up to the city walls. Their exterior was made of a pale sand colored stone but beyond the gates he caught sight of a kaleidoscope of color. Multi colored roofs and varying styles of tile and mosaics flourished across the buildings of Dressrosa. The road on which they approached the capital from was lined with trees blossoming with flowers of all kind. Everywhere he looked he saw life and color and beauty.

"I'd forgotten how amazing it was." Vivi mumbled beside him. Her violet eyes trailed over the shapes around them with as much awe as he felt.

Usopp, in a similar state was momentarily shaken from it. "You've been here before?" He asked Vivi with shock. 

She nodded and suddenly everyone in their group was looking at her. "I was a child." She explained a little sheepishly. "It was back when Dressrosa was a monarchy."

Luffy, who had been on Ace's shoulders, sild to the ground beside the former Princess. "It's not a monarchy now?"

Sabo listened closely for her answer. Up until this point the two of them hand only discussed what the country looked like, not how it was run.

Vivi glanced around the crowds of strangers uncomfortably. "Not technically."

"But isn't Doflamingo the one in charge of everything?" Koala asked with a frown.

"Yes." She nodded. "But after the royals were massacred and betrayed by their guard, Doflamingo was the one who stopped the violence and helped the country move past the tragedy."

The story of the guards turning on each other and the royals was one well known by the rest of the world. Sabo could clearly remember when the King told him the story of King Riku. He had cautioned Sabo about having a guard you were willing to trust but to never be foolish to trust completely.

Men's hearts were easily influenced. He had said.

"So by technicality he's not a real King?" Nami asked, eyeing the city ahead.

"In the way others are Kings and Queens, no." Vivi looked around once more, discomfort on her features. "None of the other countries see him as such. The people agree to let him rule and keep the power."

Ace frowned, his excitement fading. "That's..."

Vivi shrugged. "Hard to believe? Why do you think none of the other monarchs are fond of him? It's not normal for an entire country to agree on the ruling monarch when they have no say. It would be impossible for them to agree when they did have a choice."

While she spoke Sabo scanned the crowd, suddenly sharing in her uncomfortable demeanor. Was this be something they should discuss surrounded by so many people? But then...what was wrong with what was being said? Nothing about it was a lie.

"Yet it's happening." Franky mused.

"And yet it's happening." She agreed.

Brook, who'd been uncharacteristically quiet on their journey suddenly smiled widely. "Everything here sings with joy and love, don't let musings of the past dampen the excitement of today. We're here!" He sang. "The Kingdom of Dreams!"

And just like that the uncomfortable feeling faded. Around him their circus fell back into observing and gasping at the sights and Sabo did as well.

"So what do you think?" Ace asked, glancing down at him with his steel eyes.

Sabo shook his head. "It's...it's everything I've heard it to be and more. There's obviously a reason it's call the Kingdom of Dreams."

Ace grinned. "Makes you feel like anything is possible doesn't it? There's life and happiness everywhere!"

"Ace?" Robin squeezed through their condensed group to the Fire Dancer. "We're meant to camp outside the Coliseum right?"

Blinking through the beauty of the world around them Ace nodded. "Yeah we're almost at the fork." He gestured ahead of them.

Most of the people surrounding them were splitting away from the city gates and heading west. The road diverted towards an enormous structure that almost overshadowed the city itself. The Corrida Coliseum. 

From what Usopp had told them, it was the largest amphitheatre that rivaled even the Golden Dome of Gran Tesoro in size and popularity. The thought of performing there in front of thousands of people was enough for Sabo to wish he hadn't agreed to perform in the group act. How was he supposed to dance in front of not only scores of people, but people who were judges and performers themselves? They would pick his performance apart.

Ace suddenly jumped down and squeezed his hand. "Are you ready for this?"

The simple reassurance, the reminder that when he performed he wouldn't be alone was enough to quell his fear. "As I'll ever be." Sabo told him.

**Vivi:**

They weren't even inside the city and there was so much to see. 

After they checked in as performers, they had been directed to tent large enough for them all to sleep in along with their equipment. Beyond the canvas were hundreds of tents just like it scattered across a grassy field filled with performers and spectators. Everywhere she turned there was a practice or small performance going on.

Just beyond the tents, between the field of tents and the Coliseum were attractions hosted by the Donquixote Circus itself. It consisted on their smaller acts and less popular members though they were no less skilled or entertaining. It was their way of welcoming performers and spectators alike. Games, sweets, activities and small attractions of all kinds filled the area, beckoning.

Vivi navigated the colorful maze with her new family feeling as though she was drifting through the clouds. Everything was worth looking at and trying. Everything was more amazing than the last thing, yet if she went back it seemed all the more amazing again.

She, like the rest of the group drifted along through it with everyone. She danced with Sanji to music she'd never heard before. Threw darts with Usopp- and lost terribly but she didn't mind. Sometimes she was with Brook or analyzing some strange item with Robin. The circus meshed together and drifted apart as one persons attention was grabbed by something new and the group would split once more. She laughed with Sabo and sang with Luffy and arm wrestled Zoro (she lost that too). But no matter who else she was amazed and stunned with, Nami was _always_ at her side.

Her favorite highlight of the night was seeing the pure wonder and amazement on Nami's face when she first tried a candied orange. The close second was finding a spinning contraption of fake horses you could sit on while it turned.

"Oh look!" Nami exclaimed, grabbing Vivi's hand. "There's a fortune teller!"

Vivi turned to see where she pointed and spotted a small dark purple tent. A wooden sign painted with shades of purple and blue read: _Madam Sharley, Proprietor of the Future!_

"I've seen fortune tellers in Alabasta," Vivi said. "But I've never known one that told the truth."

Nami looked at her with mock amazement and wide eyes. "Want to see if Madam Sharley does?"

Vivi laughed. "Sure! Since everything is free the first time we might as well!"

She kept a tight hold on Nami's hand and let the Escape Artist pull them towards the tent.

When they reached it Nami pushed the flap aside slowly. "Hello?"

"You may enter." An alto voice called from within.

Giving Nami one last skeptical smile, Vivi followed her inside the tent.

She had been expecting trinkets and an ominous ambiance but the first thing that struck her once inside was a table near the back. There wasn't much decoration but what was there was reminiscent of the sea. Strung over one of the tent poles was a necklace of small shells and on a corner table sat small jar of sand and a large white shell. 

She wasn't sure why the sight suddenly made her feel sad. Perhaps it was the solitary way that the items sat apart from everything else in the tent. The decor looked lonely and old. It was as if they carried a different level of meaning than the beautiful table in the center of the room.

Once Vivi fouced on the table that was decorated more like she had expected, the sadness was gone from her mind. Her eyes landed lastly on a woman who had beckoned them inside. 

To say she was beautiful would be quite right. Her hair was a dark and as shiny as a desert beetle. Her eyes were strange and striking, hard to look straight into and gleamed a deep blue. Vivi couldn't gather what she was wearing, instead transfixed by the strange otherworldliness of her appearance.

Beside her, Nami had also fallen into a sudden silence while she gazed at the woman sitting at the table. Vivi briefly thought that Nami had grown slightly pale but then the woman spoke.

"Please sit." Madam Sharley gestured to two chairs opposite her at the table.

Vivi carefully sank into one and Nami settled in the second. Curious to know what Nami was thinking Vivi tried to study her face but found that it was hard to keep her eyes from Sharley.

Madam Sharley inclined her head slightly as if listening to something. "Which of your futures should I look into?" She asked smoothly.

Vivi blinked. "Nami do you-?"

Nami shook head sharply. "Actually I'd rather not."

Sharley nodded as if this was something she understood well. "You are not eager to have the knowledge of what is to come." She paused. "Or reminisce about the past."

Nami frowned. "How- You make it sound like a bad thing."

"Which part?" The woman asked. "The future, the fear of knowing or your past?"

Vivi watched as Nami's face grew red. "I'm-"

"Look into mine." Vivi said, turning the attention from Nami. From the corner of her eye she saw the Escape Artist look at her thankfully. 

What had suddenly changed her mind about this?

When Madam Sharley looked at Vivi it was like the woman was looking _through_ her. "As you wish." 

The woman reached out in a way that was questioning. When Vivi nodded Madam Sharley placed both hands on her face. At first she cupped Vivi's cheeks but then slowly slid her hands until they lightly covered her face.

A shiver trembled through Vivi at her touch but she was otherwise still and closed her eyes against the woman's hands.

 _"A land with no rain."_ Madam Sharley's voice filled the air and Vivi tensed. _"It is forsaken."_

Heat rippled through Sharley's hands, traveling through Vivi's body. She felt burning sunlight and the scent of desert sands struck her. She felt alone, so completely lost and desperate. Why was she alone in this? Why did she _have_ to be?

_"Affliction lies upon the head."_

Vivi's stomach roiled and her body grew weak.

_"A struggle like that of twisting reptiles as they turn on each other."_

She was powerless. Left burning in the heat, body too weak to stand. There was nowhere for her to turn. Nothing she could try to do anymore but watch the inevitable happen.

The sun was scorching, much hotter than she'd ever felt. It had turned on her too, left her burning without mercy.

 _"Unless unforsaken..."_ The words shook through her body in the heat. _"The land will die and remain dead."_

And then there were no hands on her face and no sun on her back. She felt full and healthy and comfortable.

Vivi's eyes flew open wide and she gasped loudly.

"What? What is it?" Nami was there, reaching for her. "What did you see?"

Cool hands touched her and Vivi blinked again and again, the feeling of loneliness still lurking inside.

Madam Sharley sat back into her chair. "I am sorry." She said. "It's often unpleasant."

Vivi shook her head and stumbled for the entrance. She had been so alone!

"Vivi!" Nami hurried after her.

She didn't stop until she couldn't see the tent any longer.

"Vivi!" Nami grabbed both her hands when Vivi suddenly froze. "Vivi, what's wrong?" She reached for her face but Vivi flinched.

"Sorry." Vivi whispered, the feeling of Sharley's hands was too near for her to be comforted by Nami's touch.

Nami lowered her hand but didn't seem hurt by her reaction. "What happened?" She asked softly.

Vivi took a breath. "I-" She shook her head, unable to fathom the intensity of the feelings she'd felt.

"I'm sorry." Nami said suddenly. "It was my idea. I was all for it when I felt like it was something fake but she just seemed so..."

A terrifying thought crossed Vivi's mind. "Do you think she has magic?" She asked shakily.

Nami's eyes narrowed. "Maybe, honestly it would explain how she..." She must have caught sight of the horror on Vivi's face because she shook her head. "Oh no Vivi! I'm sure...I'm sure there's a lot more to what she said and whatever you saw."

Vivi wasn't convinced.

"Maybe...she is a fake! We're so close to the desert she could have just made up something to scare us." Nami looked at her earnestly, clearly regretting her idea of visiting the tent.

"I...maybe." Vivi tried to smile and let the happy atmosphere settle over her again. "She could have the ability to affect how people feel..."

Nami nodded. "Yes! I'm sure there's nothing to worry about!"

They smiled hesitantly but it was clear to Vivi they were avoiding the obvious. Nami had been bothered by her entirely after laying eyes on her and for Vivi...one of the lines Madam Sharley uttered made too much sense to her.

_A struggle like that of twisting reptiles as they turn on each other._

For one of those reptiles could only be referring to her father; King Cobra.

**The Fire Dancer Ace:**

It was the most fun he had had in a long time. Surrounded by his family and Sabo he felt his worries and fears fade. He wasn't afraid that he would accidentally burn someone. He didn't worry that their circus would lose everything.

He spent the night rushing through and past tents. He stopped at what felt like every attraction and participated in almost every competition.

Ace was usually spurred into action by Sabo and Luffy but sometimes Koala would clamp onto his hand and lug him over to the next fire related thing as she beamed with excitement. He had found that he liked her more and more the more they interacted.

Koala won them all prizes when she sent a weight sailing into the air with a hammer. Luffy was unnervingly good at keeping track of which cup covered which ball after they switched around and Sabo beat everyone in a strange game that was partially magic in origin.

The prize he won for them was candy that looked like clouds. Ace couldn't remember tasting anything so sweet.

For the first time since Ace discovered his magic he didn't feel the need to be careful while holding Sabo's hand or being close to him. They linked hands all night and Ace figured it was due to how little they had been able to touch before. Surrounded by the chaotic beauty and joyful atmosphere, he was completely relaxed and completely happy.

With the thought of happiness in mind Ace nudged Luffy when he noticed him staring at the ground again. "Hey, why are you pouting?"

"I'm not pouting." Luffy said absently.

"It looks like pouting to me." Sabo said with a teasing grin.

On the other side of Luffy, Koala frowned thoughtfully. "Are you worried about Law?"

Ace narrowed his eyes at his brother.

Luffy shrugged. "Well yeah. I wish he was having fun but he won't leave the tent."

Sabo glanced at Ace above Luffy's head. It was a look of worry yet it also seemed to say; _I told you so._

Ace rolled his eyes at the last part. "Lu why don't you go win some prizes or bring some food back to him?" As he spoke Ace suddenly frowned in his mind. Maybe Koala and Sabo were right. And didn't he always push the two together when he wanted some time to himself?

A sudden _What have I done_ thought came over him but before he could dwell on it Luffy was nodding.

"That's a good idea! I've already seen almost everything so I think it's fine if I go now."

Sabo laughed. "Nothing is going anywhere. I heard that every night there will be attractions out here."

Encouraged by this Luffy then skipped off without so much as a goodbye.

Koala's gaze trailed after him. "He reminds me of you." She said, digging her shoulder into Sabo. "Suddenly full of so much energy."

It was Sabo's turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah well, that applies to you too."

She shot him a dark look. "A skilled fighter _must_ be full of energy."

"Yeah?" Sabo said smiling. "Well how come it took you all day to..."

Ace settled into the relaxation but couldn't help a slight jab of jealousy. He knew it was stupid but he couldn't help longing for the knowledge and understanding the two had of each other. They reminded him of himself and Luffy. The connection he had with his brother was unbreakable even though they often annoyed each other to no end.

With a start Ace realized that the root of bonds that strong was love. He loved Luffy and it was obvious that Sabo and Koala loved each other. They were family and they would do anything for each other. And even though he hoped for a bond as deep as theirs, what Ace _really_ wanted was a different kind of...love. 

He shook his head, fighting off the thrilling and yet terrifying thought.

"Did you hear me?" Sabo's voice came over him.

Ace refocused on the blue eyes that watched him. "Huh?"

"Koala went to go find the others." He explained. "And I was hoping we could finally...talk."

His heart skipped. "Sure." He said quickly.

Sabo nodded and the two wandered until they found a secluded area behind some tents. They couldn't go back their circus one, everyone was sharing the space while they were here.

"You're feeling better." Sabo lifted their clasped hands as proof of his statement.

Ace nodded. "I am."

He nodded to himself and looked off towards the Coliseum.

Ace began to speak. "I know everything has been crazy lately and-"

Sabo's face swung back towards him. "What exactly...what are we?" He interrupted. "What are we doing?" His eyes shined in the evening light and despite his red face, his tone was even.

The thought had tumbled through Ace's mind many times over the past weeks. He glanced at their hands wishing he could throw in an easy flirtatious comment. It was what he always did.

"I mean I've never really...I don't know what..." It was now that Sabo seemed to struggle with words. "I don't what any of this means." He lifted their hands again.

Ace took a breath, fighting off a sudden wave of tingling. He didn't need his magic to act up now of all times! He was finally getting a better hold on it!

"Ace? Will you say something?"

Releasing his breath Ace nodded. "Sorry just...managing for a moment." He focused back on Sabo's face. It was truly amazing to Ace that Sabo let...and wanted? to be around him. Since they'd met Sabo had been burned twice because of him. 

He had the sudden urge to reach up and brush the scar on his face. To bring some comfort and...apology to him. 

Ace's fingers twitched but he didn't move. He didn't trust himself.

"I would like to think that we are...together." Ace forced himself to say. "I mean I like being around you and want to be around you and it sucks that I've been so busy and _couldn't_ be around you." With a sudden force of confidence Ace moved closer to him, lowering his voice and managed a flirtatious tone. "And though they were both during...intense situations, I rather enjoy kissing you." 

Sabo nodded stiffly. "So do I." His voice wavered. "You, I mean! Not me obviously." He added hastily. His face burned.

Ace laughed softly, using the time to sort through the myriad of emotions threatening to overwhelm him. "That's good to know." _Nice to hear._

Sabo's hand was sweaty and Ace was proud that his wasn't. Yet. The blonde lowered his eyes and stared at them again. "So what does together mean?" 

Ace put another force of control over his magic. "It means we can hold hands." He said with a teasing grin. "We spend a lot of time together." His voice grew lower and lower. "We get to know each other more and..." Ace's eyes settled on Sabo's lips. "And maybe I get to kiss you when I'm not dying or losing my mind."

"You can kiss me whenever you want." Sabo blurted quietly.

Ace raised a brow and grinned. "Oh really?" He moved even closer.

He enjoyed watching Sabo fidget but not step back. "That's what I said didn't I?" He muttered.

"I don't know..." Ace mused. "I think you should say it again, I need to be sure I heard you right."

Sabo looked at him, desperation tinged with clear understanding. "Really?" He asked ruefully. 

Ace laughed. "I enjoy it when you're flustered."

He snorted. "Yeah well I seem to always be the only one."

"You think?" Ace asked with challenge.

Sabo nodded reluctantly. "You never seem to-

Ace yanked on their hands, pulling them together and spoke softly in his ear. "When you dance I can barely focus enough to make sure you don't catch flame." He felt Sabo shiver. "The way you move makes it hard to remember even my own name. When you laugh my stomach flips, when I see the way you look at me..."

He couldn't finish. Ace's breathing was uneven and the heat was back. Only he couldn't seem to be able to separate the magic heat from the strange _other_ one.

"Ace..." Sabo's hands were on his shoulders.

The Fire Dancer moved from his ear to look at him.

"You can kiss me whenever you want." 

And he didn't have a chance.

His lips were there and Ace practically sighed with relief. Sabo was in his arms, in his dangerous fiery grasp and _wanted_ to be. He was with him. They were here _together_.

His heart lurched. _Together_. What _did_ that mean? What was any of this leading to?

Sabo's grip tightened and held them closer together. Ace head spun, heat, desire, joy, hunger and _shock_ raging within him.

Forget not knowing his name. He had no idea who he _was_.

Their lips moved and crushed and parted and did it all over again. Ace pushed his hands through Sabo's wavy hair and didn't let go. It was then he realized he _never_ wanted to let go.

Something hissed but he ignored it.

"Ace." Sabo said, taking a breath. "The grass."

Ace grumbled but took a step back and assessed his control. It was dangerously spiraling beyond his ability to keep in check.

"Damn it." He swore, taking another step back and eyeing the sparks glowing in the grass beneath his feet. "I melt shoes I burn the grass."

Sabo stood by quietly and Ace raised his head to see him. He was staring curiously at hand shaped scorch marks that dotted the sleeves of his coat.

**Violet Psychic of the Donquixote Circus:**

"How did I do?" Monet's smooth voice asked. 

Violet carefully avoided Monet's skin as she brushed past. She always ran uncomfortably cold even when she _wasn't_ using her magic.

The woman sat at the small table and added another list to the already existing pile. "I think we'll have a lot to gain this year but we won't know for sure until Diamante and myself witness the performances."

Monet raised a brow. "And what will the Young Master think?"

Violet glanced down at the newest list and let her magic overwhelm her. "He will not be disappointed."


End file.
